NCAA Rankings 2018: New Teams Enter Top 25 Of AP And Coaches Polls, Race Heating Up For Playoffs

There is just one week left to go in the 2018 regular season of the NCAA football season and things may appear locked in place, but anything can happen. It is certainly true that every single game matters and the final weekend could very well change the entire landscape of the College Football Playoff. For now, the week is over and it’s time to check out the new top 25 polls from both the coaches and the Associated Press.

For those who watched games over the weekend, it’s amazing what can happen in one half of football as opposed to the other. The No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide were tied with The Citadel going into halftime, but they opened it up in the second half by absolutely dominating and staying undefeated.

While some teams were overly familiar in the new polls, others were seeing it for the first time in many years.

As reported by ESPN, Army football is ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1996. The Black Knights have a 9-2 record and moved into the top 25 poll at No. 23 as they prepare to face rival Navy on December 8, 2018.

With the season winding down, the majority of the rest of the poll stayed virtually the same as there were not a lot of upsets.

Army is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1996. Read the story: https://t.co/iVUw8tp2Rm

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 18, 2018

Here is the Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on November 18 of the 2018 season:

1.) Alabama Crimson Tide
2.) Clemson Tigers
3.) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4.) Michigan Wolverines
5.) Georgia Bulldogs
6.) Oklahoma Sooners
7.) Washington State Cougars
8t.) UCF Golden Knights
8t.) LSU Tigers
10.) Ohio State Buckeyes
11.) Texas Longhorns
12.) West Virginia Mountaineers
13.) Florida Gators
14.) Utah State Aggies
15.) Penn State Nittany Lions
16.) Washington Huskies
17.) Kentucky Wildcats
18.) Utah Utes
19.) Syracuse Orange
20.) Northwestern Wildcats
21.) Boise State Broncos
22.) Mississippi State Bulldogs
23.) Army Black Knights
24.) Pittsburgh Panthers
25.) Iowa State Cyclones

Everyone continues to look up at Alabama in the @AmwayUS Coaches Poll. @WeAreAFCA https://t.co/wtjicbhqlW pic.twitter.com/HYQsEGTo4K

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) November 18, 2018

Here is the Coaches Top 25 Poll released on November 18 of the 2018 season:

1.) Alabama Crimson Tide
2.) Clemson Tigers
3.) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4.) Michigan Wolverines
5.) Georgia Bulldogs
6.) Oklahoma Sooners
7.) Washington State Cougars
8.) LSU Tigers
9.) UCF Golden Knights
10.) Ohio State Buckeyes
11.) Texas Longhorns
12.) West Virginia Mountaineers
13.) Florida Gators
14.) Penn State Nittany Lions
15.) Utah State Aggies
16.) Washington Huskies
17.) Utah Utes
18.) Kentucky Wildcats
19.) Syracuse Orange
20.) Mississippi State Bulldogs
21.) Northwestern Wildcats
22.) Boise State Broncos
23.) Fresno State Bulldogs
24.) Army Black Knights
25.) Pittsburgh Panthers

This has not been an overly shocking season of NCAA football as many of the top names expected to be up there are up there. Still, no one has the right to let up on the gas pedal and any kind of slip in the final week of the season could affect what happens in the College Football Playoff. The new Associated Press and Coaches Top 25 polls do say a lot as to where teams can end up and what bowl they’ll be in for December and January.