Undefeated Oregon held firm at the pinnacle of the second batch of College Football Playoff rankings, while Tuesday’s poll dramatically ousted Georgia from the bracket following a heavy defeat to Mississippi.
Leading the charge, followed by Ohio State, the Big Ten dominated four of the top five slots, with the sequence disrupted solely by Texas of the Southeastern Conference being placed at No. 3, earning a first-round bye. Georgia’s 28-10 drubbing by Ole Miss plunged the Bulldogs from third to 12th, making them the first team outside the bracket. However, No. 13 Boise State of the Mountain West would secure an automatic bid and the final spot in the 12-team bracket as the fifth-best conference champion.
BYU, sitting at sixth, would clinch a first-round bye as the Big 12’s champion if they continue their winning streak. These byes go to the four highest-ranked conference champions. Consequently, Miami of the Atlantic Coast Conference would advance straight to the quarterfinals despite a defeat to Georgia Tech that pushed the Hurricanes down five spots to No. 9.
Other ranked teams include No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 10 Alabama, and No. 11 Ole Miss.
The CFP committee unveils rankings weekly, culminating on Dec. 8 with the final poll that will set the official pairings. The inaugural 12-team college football playoff kicks off with first-round games on Dec. 20-21, wrapping up with the title game on Jan. 20.
Much of the scrutiny this week centered on Georgia’s nine-spot drop in the rankings and their subsequent exit from the bracket. Despite having two losses, the Bulldogs have faced what is widely considered the toughest schedule in the country. Nonetheless, ranking them above Ole Miss seemed unjustified after last Saturday’s one-sided loss.
“Both Alabama and Ole Miss beat them head-to-head,” noted Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, who chairs the selection committee. “As we reviewed the rankings and assessed everyone, Georgia fell to 12, based on the head-to-head results and overall body of work.”
Both the SEC and Big Ten saw four teams each in the projected Week 2 bracket.
Undefeated Army from the American Athletic Conference ascended one spot to No. 24 – still behind three teams with three losses. Meanwhile, Colorado, ranked No. 17, has an opportunity to secure a place in the Big 12 title game by winning their next two outings under Coach Deion Sanders.
If the playoffs began today, the first-round games, hosted at the higher-seeded team’s campus, would look as follows:
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State: The Buckeyes could potentially avenge their narrow loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game.
No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Penn State: A budding rivalry could be solidified, given the Rebels’ 38-25 win over the Nittany Lions in the 2023 Peach Bowl.
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Indiana: A contrast in bowl experience, with Alabama boasting 77 appearances compared to Indiana’s 13.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Tennessee: The programs have evenly split their eight meetings, with Notre Dame taking the last win in 2005.
The upcoming week’s notable games include Utah at Colorado, and Kansas at BYU, which could have significant implications for Big 12 spoilers. Tennessee faces Georgia in the only matchup of top-12 teams this week, with a win potentially propelling the Bulldogs back into the bracket. Clemson, ranked 20th, could re-enter contention for a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Pittsburgh.
