Frogs Survive Kansas; Climb Up Polls To No. 11

The Big XII's November to remember has not disappointed, as the conference boasts four AP Top 25 teams, all of whom have stacked up within the first 11 spots. While there are sure to be changes as the conference continues to cannibalize itself in the next three weeks, it's in good position for a playoff berth as things now stand.

Not much has changed in the top three spots, as the undefeated Clemson Tigers held on to the top spot, while putting more distance between themselves and number two Ohio State. The SEC's playoff hopes remain well intact as well, as Alabama checks in at number three and rising, only 36 votes behind the Buckeyes. The Tide should coast to the SEC Championship game after surviving their final test of the regular season, with a date with the #8 Gators the only thing standing between them and a chance at a National Title.

The Big XII is now represented in the all-important top four by its lone unbeaten team, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who needed a comeback effort in Ames to remain in contention for the playoffs. They jumped the Baylor Bears to slide in to the four spot, after BU fell at home to one of the hottest teams in the country, the #7 Sooners. Meanwhile, the loss at home, their first in three seasons, dropped the Bears all the way to 10, where they hold a tenuous lead over TCU. The Frogs lost their QB for three plus quarters but gained two spots in the AP, jumping to 11 from 13 and on the cusp  of returning to the top ten one week after suffering their first loss of the season.

Unbeaten Iowa jumped from eight to six, but remains ranked behind two one-loss teams - the Crimson Tide and Notre Dame. They will need to win the Big 10 to have any shot of making the top four, as they won't play OSU, #9 Michigan State, or #14 Michigan until a potential conference championship matchup with one of those teams in December.

Houston, who made it known to all that they are the only team in Texas without a loss after defeating Memphis Saturday night, climbed to #13, and has a date with #19 Navy on the horizon. Stanford plummeted to #15 after dropping a home game against unranked Oregon, which likely shuts the Pac-12 out of the playoffs all together.

This Saturday will serve as an elimination week of sorts for the Big XII, as a second loss for Baylor, OU, or the Frogs will all but eliminate them from conference title contention, as well as knock them out of the playoff conversation completely. If OSU were to fall to the Bears, they will likely also lose out on a playoff position, barring chaos ahead of them - which is certainly possible. Also something to keep in mind, BU has not lost consecutive games since 2012.

You can see the entire poll here. The Coach's Poll is very similar at the top, and has the Big XII's teams ranked the same: #4 OSU, #7 OU, #10 Baylor, and #11 TCU all check in exactly where the AP has them. The one significant difference is Clemson's move to #1, jumping the Buckeyes in the views of the coaches for the first time. That poll is available in its entirety here.