College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman suggested that Duke should be below Alabama and Auburn in the AP Top 25 Week 14 rankings based on opponents faced during the season.
Goodman discussed the possible Top 25 rankings scenario with Rob Dauster and Mike LaTulip in the Field of 68: After Dark podcast on Sunday night, hours after Duke and Auburn lost to Clemson and Florida respectively while Alabama beat Arkansas.
He nitpicked Duke's opponents during the season, saying that the Blue Devils only faced four Top 25 opponents: No. 15 Kentucky, No. 13 Arizona, No. 17 Kansas, and No. 1 Auburn. On the other hand, the two SEC teams had a steady dose of Top 25 teams in their schedules, whether in the non-conference regular season or the regular season.
"I think there's a gap between Auburn and Duke," Goodman said. (0:31) "But looking at Alabama's resume and looking at Auburn's resume, part of it is obviously they're in the SEC, but part of it is I thought they both played really difficult non-conference schedules that were better than Duke's."
Auburn played against Missouri, Houston, Iowa State, Duke, Purdue, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida, as well as then-Top 25 teams North Carolina, Oklahoma and Georgia. Meanwhile, Alabama faced Purdue, Illinois, Houston, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Mississippi State. They also beat former Top 25 squads North Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma.
"I think it's clear that to me it's Auburn and Alabama," Goodman said (1:28). "They should be one and two. I would probably still go with Auburn but I think it's close. I'll have them at one and two and I will have Duke at three."
Jeff Goodman aces Top 3 rankings as Auburn, Alabama rank 1-2 and Duke drops to joint 3rd
Jeff Goodman's take was spot on. When the AP released its Top 25 rankings for Week 14 on Monday, Auburn remained at No. 1 followed by fellow SEC team Alabama.
Meanwhile, Duke, following its loss to Clemson, dropped to joint No. 3 along with another SEC squad in Florida.
Auburn, Alabama, Florida and No. 5 Tennessee had at least one No. 1 vote in the rankings while no one in the panel voted for Duke at No. 1.
The rest of the AP Top 25 poll are as follows:
6. Houston
7. Purdue
8. Texas A&M
9. St. John's
10. Iowa State
11. Michigan State
12. Texas Tech
13. Arizona
14. Memphis
15. Kentucky
16. Wisconsin
17. Kansas
18. Marquette
19. Ole Miss
20. Michigan
21. Missouri
22. Mississippi State
23. Clemson
24. Creighton
25. Maryland.
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