Final Football Top 25
January 11, 2012 · CSM Staff
| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  |
Alabama | Bama got the best of LSU the second time around and this time it resulted in another BCS National Championship. |
3 |
| 2 |  |
Oklahoma State | OSU topped off a superb season by beating Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. 2011 will not soon be forgotten. |
2 |
| 3 |  |
LSU | LSU’s stagnant offense got pretty much nowhere, again, against Bama, but this time it resulted in a loss. |
1 |
| 4 |  |
Oregon | The Ducks only losses came against LSU and USC. More importantly for any Pac-12 team, they won the Rose Bowl. |
6 |
| 5 |  |
Arkansas | Arkansas’ only losses were at LSU and at Alabama. Those two have to come to Fayetteville in 2012. |
5 |
| 6 |  |
Stanford | The Cardinal defense could not keep up with great offenses like Okie State and Oregon and now are Luckless. |
4 |
| 7 |  |
Boise State | Boise State was a kick away from at least a BCS bowl, but instead had to beat up on Arizona State. |
7 |
| 8 |  |
South Carolina | South Carolina went under the radar most of the year due to the talent in the SEC, but ended up with a great year. |
9 |
| 9 |  |
USC | The Trojans ruined a couple seasons, but they were always looking ahead to 2012 when they can go to a bowl. |
10 |
| 10 |  |
Michigan | Michigan knocked off Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and now look forward to what could be a great 2012 season. |
12 |
| 11 |  |
Houston | The Cougars came so close to an undefeated season, but at least they got to beat Penn State in a bowl game. |
14 |
| 12 |  |
Michigan State | Michigan State had a brutal schedule, but their defense led the way to a great year and a big bowl win over UGA. |
16 |
| 13 |  |
Wisconsin | Wisconsin won the first ever Big Ten championship game and came close against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. |
8 |
| 14 |  |
Baylor | Baylor proved to be a fun team to watch in 2011. They struggled on the road but a Heisman Trophy is a good season. |
18 |
| 15 |  |
Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech could never quite figure out Clemson and lost to a good Michigan team in the Sugar Bowl. |
11 |
| 16 |  |
Kansas State | Kansas State could not hang with Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, but the Wildcats had a great, and surprising, year. |
15 |
| 17 |  |
Oklahoma | The Sooners wrapped up the 2011 campaign with an easy bowl win over Iowa, but in the end 10-3 is disappointing. |
17 |
| 18 |  |
West Virginia | The Big East may have been pretty bad, but WVU proved they were BCS worthy by dropping 70 on Clemson. |
23 |
| 19 |  |
Southern Miss | Southern Miss would have gotten a lot more national attention if they would not have lost early in the season. |
19 |
| 20 |  |
TCU | In the end TCU had a slightly disappointing season and ended up in the Poinsettia Bowl. But the Big 12 awaits. |
21 |
| 21 |  |
Clemson | Clemson was the darling of college football briefly, but fell apart at the end. Allowing 70 points to WVU didn’t help. |
13 |
| 22 |  |
Florida State | Don’t read too much into FSU’s bowl victory over Notre Dame, but the Seminoles have some momentum now. |
NR |
| 23 |  |
BYU | BYU’s first season as an FBS Independent was not a spectacular one, but it ended with a bowl victory and 10 wins. |
24 |
| 24 |  |
Cincinnati | Cincinnati doesn’t deserve too much credit for beating Vandy, but they did emerge as the obvious #2 in the Big East. |
NR |
| 25 |  |
Georgia | Bookended between a couple two game losing streaks, Georgia reeled off ten wins in a row to have a decent 2011. |
20 |
