The CFP rankings debuted last week, and there were few surprises on the initial list. The second iteration of the rankings dropped Tuesday evening, and the top group remain unchanged. No matter how deep the College Football Playoff field goes, there will be disappointed fan bases.
The playoffs now feature 12 teams, and that means fans of schools on the bubble will be disappointed. The rankings will matter more in a few weeks than they do now, but it is still an important metric to follow in November.
Though the top group remain unchanged, there was plenty of movement further down the list. Positioning matters with byes and home CFP matchups on the line. As a reminder, the champions from the four Power 4 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) all receive automatic bids to participate in the playoffs.
The highest ranked conference champion from the Group of Five also secures a spot among the 12-team field. The other seven spots are up to the selection committee to determine as at-large bids.
Here is how the latest rankings look with just a few weeks left in the regular season.
CFP Top 5 Remains Unchanged
1. Ohio State (9-0 | no change)
2. Indiana (10-0 | no change)
3. Texas A&M (9-0 | no change)
4. Alabama (8-1 | no change)
5. Georgia (8-1 | no change)
The top five of the CFP rankings held strong in the second week of the release. The group handled business in Week 11. Ohio State cruised to a 34-10 win over Purdue. Texas A&M took care of Missouri. Alabama held LSU to just 232 total yards in an impressive defensive performance in a 20-9 victory.
Georgia scored 38 straight points and went into Starkville to come away with a 41-21 win over Mississippi State. Indiana was the only team among the top five that was truly challenged. Penn State pushed the Hoosiers to the brink, but the catch of the year from Omar Cooper helped Indiana avoid an upset.
Upcoming conference championship games will ultimately dictate who will and won’t remain among the top group. Ohio State has a matchup up with Michigan to close the regular season. Texas A&M will square off with Texas late in the year. Alabama hosts Oklahoma this week. Georgia will host the Longhorns this Saturday.
Some of those games could change the picture. For now, the top five should continue to hold steady atop the rankings.
Rounding Out The Top 10
6. Texas Tech (9-1 | up 2 spots)
7. Ole Miss (9-1 | down 1 spot)
8. Oregon (8-1 | up 1 spot)
9. Notre Dame (7-2 | up 1 spot)
10. Texas ( 7-2 | up 1 spot)
Texas Tech was the biggest mover among the top 10. Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders became the first team to knock off BYU with a convincing 29-7 win on Saturday. TTU could have the biggest grip among the committee as it works to secure a spot inside the top group with a potential bye at stake. UCF and West Virginia are all that’s left for the Red Raiders before the Big 12 title game. Associated Press Top 25 voters have Texas Tech at No. 8 in this week’s poll but the committee believes a bit more in the body of work.
Dante Moore led a 54-yard drive for Oregon to set up a game-winning field goal for the Ducks in Week 11. The 18-16 victory over Iowa keeps Dan Lanning’s team firmly in the top 10 in Week 12. Oregon gets current No. 17 USC in Eugene next week in another important matchup for the playoff picture.
Texas looked reignited entering its bye week, and the Longhorns were able to move up with BYU dropping outside the top 10. Steve Sarkisian’s team will get its opportunity to prove it belongs with upcoming matchups against Georgia, Arkansas and Texas A&M to close the regular season.
On The Bubble
11. Oklahoma (7-2 | up 1 spot)
12. BYU (8-1 | down 5 spots)
13. Utah (7-2 | no change)
14. Vanderbilt (8-2 | up 2 spots)
15. Miami (7-2 | up 3 spots)
16. Georgia Tech (8-1 | up 1 spot)
Oklahoma has wins over three ranked opponents this season and still has enough high-level competition to make a strong case to be part of the 12-team CFP field. Two losses certainly hurt the Sooners but a win over No. 4 Alabama would certainly aid Oklahoma’s push to be part of the championship contenders. A loss to the Crimson Tide would seemingly take it out of the running.
Quarterback Diego Pavia guided Vanderbilt to an overtime win over Auburn last week. The Commodores need some help to get back into the CFP picture, but it is certainly not over at this stage. Kentucky and Tennessee remain on the schedule.
The ACC has become an interesting part of the playoff picture. Virginia and Louisville both lost to unranked opponents in Week 11 so the picture in the conference has reshuffled. Georgia Tech is ranked below Miami but looks to have an easier path to the conference title game. The Hurricanes are currently seventh in the ACC standings with games against NC State, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh still to go.
The Yellowjackets had a bye in Week 11 and close out the conference slate against Boston College and Pittsburgh. A matchup against in-state rival Georgia will wrap up the regular season.
Bottom Tier
17. USC (7-2 | up 2 spots)
18. Michigan (7-2 | up 3 spots)
19. Virginia (8-2 | down 5 spots)
20. Louisville (7-2 | down 5 spots)
21. Iowa (6-3 | down 1 spot)
22. Pittsburgh (7-2 | up 2 spots)
23. Tennessee (6-3 | up 2 spots)
24. South Florida (7-2 | NR)
25. Cincinnati (7-2 | NR)
Dropped out: Missouri, Washington
The two and three-loss teams at the bottom of the rankings all need some help to get into the picture in most cases. A loss by Memphis to Tulane allowed South Florida to move into the top spot among the Group of Five contenders. The Bulls are likely headed for a battle with North Texas to determine the winner of the American Conference. Should USF take care of business, it would push one of the Power 4 teams out of the CFP picture.
Depending on how things shake out, USC could have a very compelling case to be part of the CFP equation at the end of the regular season. The Trojans will get an opportunity to face No. 21 Iowa this week before visiting No. 8 Oregon in a key Big Ten matchup next week. The season then wraps up against crosstown foe UCLA.