CBS Sports projects 12-team College Football Playoff field after second CFP rankings reveal
After two College Football Playoff rankings reveals, it’s getting easier to project the 12-team format which will debut next year. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has updated his projections to reflect the latest rankings, which didn’t see much change at the top.
For the second consecutive week, Ohio State found itself atop the top 25 — even if that generated debate once again. The top four remained unchanged from last week’s rankings, meaning no movement occurred with the teams atop CBS Sports’ 12-team College Football Playoff projection.
That said, things changed a bit farther down the rankings. If the 12-team format took effect this year, the matchups would certainly be must-see TV.
No. 1 Ohio State — Bye
At halftime of last week’s game against Rutgers, it sure looked like No. 1 was going to fall. But Ohio State used a strong second half to win the game in grand fashion, coming away with the 35-16 victory.
Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t necessarily total his usual yardage, but he still caught two touchdowns as the Buckeyes used a fairly balanced attack to win the game. Of course, a pick-six helped the cause, and the victory takes Ohio State into a primetime matchup against Michigan State on Saturday.
No. 2 Georgia — Bye
Another team potentially on upset watch in Week 10, Georgia did enough to handle Missouri to keep its winning streak going. Some big defensive plays, none bigger than Nazir Stackhouse’s late interception, helped the Bulldogs get the 30-21 victory to get to 9-0 on the season.
Georgia is in the midst of the toughest part of its schedule. Mizzou was one of three straight ranked matchups, and another test awaits this week against Ole Miss in a game that will have College GameDay in attendance.
No. 3 Florida State — Bye
Another big day for Jordan Travis last week helped Florida State come away with a 24-7 victory over Pitt despite multiple key injuries. Travis totaled 360 yards and a touchdown in the game, which helped the Seminoles lock up a spot in the ACC Championship.
FSU is in the midst of a special season with hopes of making the CFP. The Seminoles stayed put at No. 4 in this week’s rankings, and they’d be a near-lock under the 12-team College Football Playoff format if it debuted a year earlier than planned.
No. 4 Washington — Bye
Washington vs. USC had game of the year potential, and it surely delivered. It was a good old fashioned shootout between the two Pac-12 foes, and Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies came out on top 52-42 over Caleb Williams and the Trojans.
That victory gave UW another notable victory on its resume as it continues for a Pac-12 title in its last year before leaving for the Big Ten. The road to Las Vegas won’t be easy, though, with Utah looming at home this week.
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Michigan | Winner plays Washington
The noise at Michigan continues to get louder, but the CFP committee has been clear the Wolverines will be ranked so long as they’re eligible for the postseason. As a result, Michigan checked in at No. 5 in Palm’s CFP projections because Ohio State is favored to win the Big Ten. Under the 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions receive byes.
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Tulane, meanwhile, is the only G5 team to make the top 25 in this week’s rankings. The Green Wave are in the midst of another strong year with an 8-1 record — the only loss came to Ole Miss — and can add to that mark this week against Tulsa.
No. 11 Louisville at No. 6 Oregon | Winner plays Florida State
Washington has been the hot team in the Pac-12, but Oregon is still hanging around despite losing to the Huskies earlier this year. The Ducks put on a clinic against Cal in last week’s 63-19 victory, but they’ll be able to prove a lot this week against a USC team that just fired its defensive coordinator.
As for Louisville, it’s safe to say Year 1 of the Jeff Brohm era has been a success as he returned to his alma mater. The Cardinals came in at No. 11 in this week’s CFP rankings after a 34-3 victory, and they hold a one-game lead for second place in the ACC — meaning they’d be in line for a conference title game appearance.
No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Texas | Winner plays Georgia
Texas fans had to sweat a little bit last week as the Longhorns headed to overtime against Kansas State. Steve Sarkisian’s group did just enough, though, to fight off the Wildcats and get the 33-30 victory to stay ranked in the top 10 and in the conversation for the CFP.
Meanwhile, Penn State got back on track after a rough showing against Indiana with a 51-15 win over Maryland. After losing to Ohio State three weeks ago, the Nittany Lions now face another important test on Saturday with a noon ET matchup with Michigan on Saturday.
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 Alabama | Winner plays Ohio State
Alabama and Ole Miss squared off in quite the battle earlier this year before the Crimson Tide got the win. If the 12-team College Football Playoff was in effect, though, they’d face each other again — giving Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban a big stage to showcase their unique relationship.
Alabama’s win over Ole Miss came amid a 7-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide, who fought off LSU last week in Tuscaloosa to remain undefeated in SEC play. As for the Rebels, they have to go into one of the league’s toughest environments to take on Georgia at Sanford Stadium.
TV ratings have held strong across college football all year, and it could be the most-watched season ever. Alas, the 12-team CFP is still a year away — but if this year’s an indication, fans could be in for an exciting run next season when the new model takes effect.