ESPN releases penultimate College Football Playoff rankings prediction

The college football regular season came to an end this weekend following an exciting slate of rivalry games across the country. But now the attention shifts to the postseason, and more specifically the College Football Playoff picture for the nation’s top teams.

With conference championship games right around the corner this upcoming Saturday, only four undefeated teams remain in the country with various one-loss contenders looming as well, each with differing resumes and reasons that they should be in the top four and in the College Football Playoff.

ESPN Senior Writer Heather Dinich is familiar with how the College Football Playoff Selection Committee determines their rankings, and following this weekend’s action, she gave her prediction for Tuesday’s penultimate CFP ranking.

1. Georgia

For the past three weeks, Georgia has been atop the College Football Playoff Rankings, and Dinich doesn’t see that changing heading into the postseason. Georgia defeated rival Georgia Tech on Saturday 31-23 and did so without key pieces on the offense like Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, and Tate Ratledge.

Saturday’s victory for Georgia marked their 29th straight win, a new SEC record. But with them facing Alabama in the SEC Championship game, many are already wondering what the playoff picture would look like if the defending back-to-back national champions lost in their conference title game.

2. Michigan

Michigan was ranked No. 3 in the last College Football Playoff Ranking. But many anticipate their big win over No. 2 ranked rival Ohio State will elevate them to at least the No. 2 spot in the next rankings, including Dinich.

The Wolverines capped off the regular season with a huge to keep their resume perfect ahead of their Big Ten Championship matchup against Iowa. A game that will also represent the return of head coach Jim Harbaugh, who served a suspension during the final three games of the regular season amid the program’s sign-stealing investigation.

3. Washington

Out of all the CFP contenders, it’s safe to say that none came closer to losing it all on Saturday than the Washington Huskies. On the final play of their game against Washington State, kicker Grady Gross nailed a 42-yard field goal to take home a 24-21 win in the Apple Cup.

The Huskies should jump in the rankings after being ranked No. 4 previously following the loss of No. 2 Ohio State. And their impressive, undefeated resume could get even stronger if they defeat Oregon yet again in the Pac-12 Championship.

4. Oregon

Oregon secured their first win over a team currently ranked in the CFP rankings when they defeated No. 16 Oregon State. But they didn’t just beat the Beavers, they dominated them in a 31-7 win on their senior night in Autzen Stadium.

Oregon makes ESPN’s projected top-four despite being a one-loss team that doesn’t have the strongest resume. But there’s no question that on both sides of the ball they pass the eye test, and have the potential to avenge their only loss of the season to Washington in their conference championship game.

5. Florida State

Concerns regarding the Seminoles’ standing the the College Football Playoff arose when their star quarterback Jordan Travis was ruled out for the remainder of the season following a gruesome injury suffered in Week 11. And unfortunately, some of those same concerns arose in their close win over rival Florida on Saturday.

Florida State rallied after allowing 12 unanswered points to start the ballgame with a 24-15 win over the Gators. But it’s clear that their offense is not quite the same without Travis under center, which Dinich believes will continue to hurt the Seminoles in the rankings.

6. Ohio State

ESPN anticipates Ohio State taking a major drop after being ranked No. 2 in the nation following their loss to rival Michigan. A loss that also takes the Buckeyes away from the Big Ten Championship game for the third straight season.

There’s no question that Ohio State’s loss hurts their chances of making the College Football Playoff. But they found themselves in a similar circumstance last season ahead of conference championship weekend, and if the ball bounces their way yet again, maybe the Buckeyes could return to the CFP.

7. Texas

Texas will remain in the No. 7 spot of the rankings according to ESPN despite the Longhorns’ dominant 57-7 win over Texas Tech this weekend. A game where the Longhorns scored 47 unanswered points in the final three quarters.

A road win over Alabama still stands as the most impressive piece of Texas’ resume. But many believe that even a dominant win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game wouldn’t be enough alone to propel Texas into the top four.

8. Alabama

Alabama rounds out the ESPN top eight following a down-to-the-wire Iron Bowl matchup that will be remembered for quite some time in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide defeated rival Auburn 27-24 on the road Saturday in a win highlighted by a 31-yard touchdown pass on a 4th & Goal play with under a minute to go in the game.

Nick Saban‘s squad ran the table following their Week 2 loss to Texas, defeating every SEC opponent and beyond that stood in their way as his team steadily improved throughout the season. And there’s no question that they have the most potential to cause chaos in the College Football Playoff Rankings with a win over Georgia in the SEC Championship.