AP Poll Analysis: Week 12

Week 11’s college basketball action thinned the ranks of the unbeatens even more.

It began in Allen Fieldhouse last Tuesday when the Iowa State Cyclones got run out of the Phog 84-63. The Cyclones made it to 16-0 before the run ended and promptly lost again over the weekend at Cincinnati. Vanderbilt similarly got thumped in Austin, Texas, by the Longhorns 80-64, and followed that up with a tough home loss to the Florida Gators, who edged them 98-94 in the shootout.

We’re down to three, but they’re all ranked now with Miami-OH cracking the poll at #25 at 19-0. Thus, the “survivor series” is coming down to Arizona from the Big 12, Nebraska from the Big Ten, and Miami-OH from the MAC. Let’s take a look at them and everybody else in the Week 12 AP poll:

Notes:

  • Arizona’s got a manageable week ahead. The Wildcats just have to take care of business at home against Cincinnati and West Virginia. Not quite “historic conference rivalry games”.
  • Nebraska has Washington at home and Minnesota on the road. Both teams are 10-8 and could present challenges, but if they take care of them and reach 20-0, they’ll get to take on #3 Michigan in Ann Arbor. Winning that could prove the Huskers to be the best team in the Big Ten.
  • Miami-OH has a tricky game at Kent State this week, but home games with UMass and Northern Illinois after that. They might be favorites in all their remaining games, but even one conference slip-up will be very costly to at-large bid hopes, given how poor their strength of schedule is.
  • Big game this week: #15 Vanderbilt at #20 Arkansas. Two of the best teams in the SEC will be going at it in Bud Walton Arena as the Commodores try to avoid a third straight defeat and the Razorbacks look to separate themselves from the pack.
  • Another big game: #6 Houston at #12 Texas Tech. The Big 12 is loaded with contenders below Arizona, and last year’s national runner-ups will be taking their 17-1 record to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders Saturday at 6:30. Tech is 14-4 but tied with BYU for third in the conference standings at 4-1.
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