Overrated and Underrated College Football Teams - Reviewing NCAA CFB Rankings For Week 12

Unfortunately, there are just two full weeks left of the 2023 college football season. Bowl season and the College Football Playoffs will be here before we know it, yet the AP voters still don't have it right this week. After 11 weeks of action, the top teams are established, but there are still some "pretenders" found too high in the rankings.

There are overvalued and undervalued teams all over the country. Let's dive in and analyze the five teams who are improperly ranked after Week 11 action.

It's time for the next article of a year-long series: Overrated and Underrated College Football Teams after the release of the weekly Associated Press Poll. All rankings listed are based on the AP Poll.

Overrated College Football Teams For Week 12

Louisville Cardinals: No. 9

What Jeff Brohm has done in his first year at the helm of his alma mater has been nothing short of impressive. However, the Cardinals lack overly-impressive wins in 2023. The victory over Notre Dame was big, but the Irish have been exposed as an overrated team that went on the faceplant in a matchup with a struggling Clemson team.

Louisville has played the 63rd-toughest schedule to date, and their one loss came to the 2-8 Pitt Panthers. Last week, it took the Cardinals late-game heroics to defeat Virginia -- another 2-8 team.

Does anyone believe that this team could hang with the programs that surround them in the rankings like Texas, Alabama, Oregon State, and Missouri? Surely not. If Louisville defeats Miami in Week 11, they'll have a chance to battle Florida State in the ACC Championship. That matchup will tell us all we need to know about both squads.

Penn State Nittany Lions: No. 12

Penn State is exactly who we thought they were. The Nittany Lions beat up on the mediocre Big Team teams and lost to Ohio State and Michigan. Penn State wants to play a physical brand of football, but they can't hang with teams that have legitimate studs on the offensive and defensive line.

No Jim Harbaugh. No Connor Stalions.

NO PROBLEM!

Michigan just bullied Penn State pic.twitter.com/j0Y50cXSGD

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) November 11, 2023

PSU will likely finish the season at 10-2 -- with their best victory coming against the Iowa Hawkeyes, who have one of the worst offenses in college football. Penn State is the 13th-most talented team in the nation, while Iowa checks in at 41st. If you can only win games in which you have a massive talent advantage -- it's a problem. I would like to see at least Oklahoma and Ole Miss ahead of Penn State. Both programs have more impressive bodies of work this season.

Underrated College Football Teams For Week 12

Missouri Tigers: No. 11

Missouri kept it competitive in a road matchup with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in Week 10. Following the loss, they rebounded with a 36-7 win over the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers. Running back Cody Schrader rushed 35 times for 205 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 116 yards. He became the first player in SEC history to rush for at least 200 yards and receive for at least 100 yards.

The only player in SEC history with 200+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards in one game: @MizzouFootball 's Cody Schrader. pic.twitter.com/egP0joip7j

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 12, 2023

This team is dangerous behind Schrader, quarterback Brady Cook, and wide receiver Luther Burden III. The Tigers just need to defeat the Florida Gators and Arkansas Razorbacks, and their ticket to a New Year's Six Bowl will likely be punched. Sure, games aren't played on paper, but Missouri would likely be sizable favorites against No. 10 Oregon State and No. 9 Louisville. They belong inside the top 10.

Arizona Wildcats: No. 19

Arizona is on a remarkable hot streak, winning their last four games. Three of those four wins have come against AP top-20 teams. The Wildcats have just three losses on the season, and all of the defeats are by seven points or fewer. Obviously, a three-loss team can't be ranked much higher than No. 19, but Arizona is hotter (no pun intended) and playing better football than No. 16 Utah -- who has lost two of their last three games.

WILDCATS WIN@tyler_loop KICKS IT IN FOR THE WIN.

📺: Pac-12 Network pic.twitter.com/8Eli9ts45D

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 11, 2023

Luckily, Arizona and Utah will get to settle things on the field in Week 12. This contest won't be for a PAC-12 title game berth or a New Year's Six Bowl, but it will decide which team will be higher in the rankings and which team gets a more favorable bowl game next month.

Liberty Flames: No. 25

The Flames are 10-0 and have the ninth-highest average scoring margin in the nation (18.3). It's no secret that the level of competition isn't great, but Liberty isn't loaded with overwhelming talent either. Jamey Chadwell is continuing his success from his time at Coastal Carolina, and his team deserves a little more love in the polls.

Should this undefeated team sit behind sputtering three-loss programs like Tennessee and Notre Dame?

Raise your hand if you’re still undefeated! 🙋‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/ynCMyODY2d

— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) November 13, 2023

More Fantasy Football Analysis