Wasserman's College Football Top 10 Ranking: SEC Chaos shakes things up

It’s a new era of college football. 

The College Football Playoff committee is releasing rankings now, but they aren’t going to be the end-all, be-all given the new seeding rules of the 12-team field. But the rankings are still fun and people are still going to fight over them. They still matter. 

So, every weekend, after the dust settles from the games, I release my top 10. Three days later, we’ll see if the CFP committee agrees or disagrees.

1. Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten)

Oregon found itself on the ropes at Wisconsin last weekend, but the Ducks escaped with a close victory over the Badgers. This week, Oregon had a bye week, but its signature win over Ohio State got even more impressive. Though it’s fair to question whether this Oregon team is bulletproof after its lackluster performance against Wisconsin, it’s probably just not rational to expect a team to run through the Big Ten without any close calls. Oregon is a lock to make the Playoff and it’s looking like we’re going to get a rematch with the Buckeyes in Indianapolis.
Last week’s rank: 1

2. Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten)

Ohio State has now beaten two top-five teams since losing by a point on the road at Oregon earlier in the season. Though people will take more away about Indiana than Ohio State after the Buckeyes’ 38-15 win over the Hoosiers, make no mistake about it: Ryan Day’s squad may be the best team in college football. Ohio State still has a lot to prove because it has come up short on the big stage in the past, but this roster may be the last of a dying breed in terms of having this many good players on the same team. It looks like we’re going to get Oregon-Ohio State, Part 2. That’s going to be a banger.
Last week’s rank: 2

3. Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC)

Texas spent the entire offseason hearing how it wouldn’t be able to survive the grind of the SEC schedule. Though the Longhorns have undeniably been the beneficiary of an advantageous path, they have mowed over every SEC opponent outside of Georgia. Texas has a huge game at Texas A&M next week that’s going to determine quite a bit in the SEC and national title races, but the Longhorns are 10-1 and it feels like they can compete with anyone in college football.
Last week’s rank: 5

4. Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten)

Penn State went on the road to Minnesota on Saturday and was in real danger of losing. But the Nittany Lions got the ball back late in the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, used a fake punt to extend the drive and eventually iced the entire clock. The lone blemish on Penn State’s resume is a home loss to Ohio State. Though the Nittany Lions are on the outside looking in on the Big Ten title race, they are firmly in the College Football Playoff with a win over Maryland next weekend.
Last week’s rank: 4

5. Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC)

Since going on the road and being blown out at Ole Miss, Georgia has responded with two wins. One win was significant (a victory over Tennessee) and the other one was its blowout of UMass on Saturday. The Bulldogs have been done with SEC play since last weekend, so now they wait to see how the conference race stacks up. If Georgia beats Georgia Tech next weekend, it will finish 10-2 and punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Last week’s rank: 8

6. Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

Tennessee may have been the biggest beneficiary of Indiana and Ole Miss losing Saturday. The Volunteers beat up on UTEP on Saturday, but the results in other games helped put them right back into the College Football Playoff picture. Tennessee has a tricky game at Vanderbilt next weekend. If the Volunteers win, they’ll finish 10-2 on the season and likely have a good enough resume to crack to the 12-team Playoff field.
Last week’s rank: 10

7. Notre Dame (10-1) 

Notre Dame played an undefeated Army team on Saturday in Yankee Stadium and it treated the Black Knights the same way it did with Navy earlier in the year. Notre Dame proved it’s too big, strong, fast and athletic to be caught in a close game with these triple option service academy teams, even when they are legitimately very good. People may not be taking Notre Dame seriously because of the Northern Illinois loss earlier in the year, but it will 100 percent be in the College Football Playoff if it beats USC next week.
Last week’s rank: 9

8. SMU (10-1, 7-0 ACC) 

SMU beat Virginia 33-7 on Saturday. It was the Mustangs’ eighth-consecutive win since losing to BYU in the nonconference. The Mustangs have clinched a spot in the ACC Championship in their first year in the power conference. Though the ACC is a may no longer be one-bid league after Saturday’s chaos, SMU’s resume is still better than Miami’s, which is why it got the nod as the higher-ranked team. But whoever wins the ACC is guaranteed a spot in the Playoff.
Last week’s rank: 9

9. Indiana (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) 

Indiana came into the weekend with something to prove when it travelled to Columbus to take on Ohio State. The Hoosiers, though, lost 38-15. As a result, it also lost in the court of public opinion as it pertains to whether they are worthy of a trip to the Playoff. It’s undeniably a tough look to lose by 23 when facing the only elite team on your schedule, but Indiana still deserves credit for starting off 10-0. The loss to Ohio State doesn’t negate that the Hoosiers are a really good team. Beating Ohio State isn’t the standard for who gets into the 12-team field. With Ole Miss losing, the Hoosiers still have a shot.
Last week’s rank: 3

10. Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC) 

It has only been a few weeks since Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech, but the Hurricanes are still only a one-loss team after beating up on Wake Forest on Saturday. There may not have been a bigger beneficiary to all of Saturday’s results than Miami, who now may have two ways into the College Football Playoff. If Miami loses to SMU in the ACC title game, it’s not a forgone conclusion it would be left out as a two-loss team anymore. With Cam Ward and that offense, Miami still has a chance to make a run this postseason.
Last week’s rank: NR