Stanford has a problem. Beating teams like Oregon, Arizona State or UCLA? Not a problem. It's the winnable road games that give Stanford trouble, whether at Washington, Utah or USC - the Cardinal's last three Pac-12 losses, all three on the road, all three to unranked teams.
It's a steep slide from the top of the Rose Bowl chase to outside the Bowl Championship Series picture; that's where Stanford stands today, after a second loss again gave Oregon control of the Pac-12 North Division. When it comes to the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, set to be released midday Sunday, the second loss should send Stanford tumbling outside the top 10.
RANKINGS: Coaches Poll entering Week 12
And with the top four teams staying the course, the main intrigue in this week's poll comes from the competition to replace Stanford as the top-ranked team with a single loss. There are five teams with a very strong case for slotting in at No. 5, right behind the four unbeatens: Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor.
One is Oregon, which lost at Stanford, 26-21, on Nov. 7. A second is Clemson, which has found easy sledding after a 51-14 loss to Florida State on Oct. 19. Also in the hunt are Missouri, which was idle Saturday, and Oklahoma State, which moved to 9-1 by beating Texas on the road.
But it's hard to ignore what Auburn has achieved in coach Gus Malzahn's first season. After going 3-9 last season, losing all eight games in the SEC, the Tigers are 10-1 heading into the annual Iron Bowl against Alabama on Nov. 30. Saturday's memorable 43-38 win against Georgia leaves Auburn at 6-1 in the SEC, one win away from securing the West Division title.
One thing is sure: Both Alabama and Auburn will have one or fewer loss and be ranked inside the top 10 - two firsts in the rivalry since 1994.
While in no danger of losing its No. 1 ranking, Alabama could lose another handful of first-place votes to Florida State. The Crimson Tide were far from perfect Saturday in a 20-7 win against Mississippi State. FSU did what it has done all season, ripping apart an overmatched conference foe in Syracuse by 56 points. But it's clear that Alabama would have to lose a game to drop out of the top spot.
Stanford's slide could only be to No. 10, just behind those one-loss teams. But the Cardinal could very well slip lower, due to the two losses to unranked teams, and be slotted behind fellow two-loss teams like Texas A&M and South Carolina. USC, meanwhile, should move back into the Coaches Poll for the first time under interim coach Ed Orgeron.
Teams moving up in the poll:
USC will be one new face in the new poll. There are should be at least one other; Miami (Fla.) and Texas lost, so this week's poll should have two or more new teams. One team with a very strong case for joining USC is Duke, which handed Miami a 48-30 loss to take control of the ACC Coastal Division.
1. Mississippi. The Rebels continue to get shockingly little respect in the poll despite netting wins against Vanderbilt, Texas and LSU.
2. Louisiana-Lafayette. The wins are rarely pretty, but the Ragin' Cajuns continue to charge toward a 10-win regular season.
3. Michigan State. Mark Dantonio and Pat Narduzzi can't love Saturday's performance on defense, but the Spartans are 9-1 and eyeballing the Rose Bowl.
Teams moving down in the poll:
Louisiana Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway (8) looks to pass against Arkansas State in a 23-7 victory on Oct. 22.(Photo: Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports)
1. Virginia Tech. One week after dominating Miami, the Hokies played listless, sloppy, boring football in losing to Maryland in overtime.
2. Washington. The Huskies could have moved back into the Coaches Poll by beating UCLA; the Bruins won 41-31.
3. Minnesota. Despite being idle, Minnesota could be penalized for Nebraska's loss to Michigan State - since the Gophers' most impressive win of 2013 came against the Cornhuskers.
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED IN WEEK 12
Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.
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