Dan Mullen predicts initial College Football Playoff rankings
On a sleepy Thursday night, Dan Mullen dropped a red-hot take. The former Florida head coach just released his latest College Football Playoff rankings, and it will turn heads.
With the top six teams in the country all still undefeated, there is no shortage of College Football Playoff competition. If the CFP followed the AP Top 25, the four included teams (in order) would be: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State.
Nonetheless, the CFP doesn’t necessarily follow the AP poll, and Mullen certainly doesn’t, either. Look below to see the ESPN analyst’s current CFP rankings:
1. Ohio State
After taking down Penn State 20-12 last weekend, the Buckeyes are at the forefront of Mullen’s mind. It’s difficult to blame him. OSU looked excellent in the outing, holding Penn State’s offense to 240 total yards.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have the best wide receiver in the country, either. In seven games this season, Marvin Harrison Jr. has 42 catches for 766 yards, six touchdowns and 18.2 yards per catch. Michigan is the only ranked opponent left on the Buckeyes’ schedule.
2. Florida State
The Seminoles haven’t been perfect, but they’re undoubtedly battle-tested. Florida State showed its grit in spades last weekend in its 38-20 win over Duke. In the victory, the Seminoles spoiled Duke quarterback Riley Leonard’s glorious return.
FSU QB Jordan Travis tallied 268 passing yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Leonard recorded a mere 69 passing yards and an interception. The comfortable victory was enough to convince Mullen the Seminoles belonged atop the CFP totem pole.
3. Washington
Washington didn’t leave Week 8 with a trophy victory, but it left with a victory, nonetheless. The Huskies looked sluggish in its 15-7 win over Arizona State last weekend. In the narrow win, the Huskies only recorded 288 total yards compared to Arizona State’s 341 yards.
For reference, Washington averages 507.1 yards per game, the fourth-most in the country. Despite the team’s subpar outing, you can never count out a team led by a Heisman candidate. Michael Penix Jr. boasts 2,576 passing yards and 20 touchdowns this year while connecting on 70.8% of his passes.
4. Oklahoma
Washington wasn’t alone in its Week-8 struggles. Oklahoma scraped by against a subpar UCF team to escape with a 31-29 victory. The game came down to a late two-point conversion. However, with the game on the line, the Sooners came alive.
That killer instinct is what earned Oklahoma the No. 4 spot in Mullen’s mind. Averaging 469.9 total yards per game, Oklahoma has the seventh-best offense in the country. Add on a breakout season from Brent Venables and the Sooners are a wagon.
5. Michigan
Mullen isn’t overlooking the effects of a scandal. With more cheating allegations being spewed at the Wolverines, Mullen isn’t comfortable placing them in the top four. Yet, it’s difficult to deny Michigan’s raw dominance.
The team is 8-0 and no team is yet to come within three scores of them. In fact, the Wolverines are winning by an average margin of 34.8 points per game. Then again, it’s easy to comfortably win when the other team can’t move the ball. Michigan’s opponents average just 226.8 yards per outing, the third-least nationally.
6. Georgia
Last in Mullen’s list, first in the AP Top 25. He sure knows how to pick ’em. Back-to-back national championships can’t conjure another. While Georgia is 8-0, the Bulldogs have looked considerably less dominant than in years past.
The team has already had close calls with Auburn, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. With three more ranked opponents on their schedule, the Bulldogs will have to fight for each bone. Alas, with Kirby Smart in the driver’s seat, Georgia is always one of the favorites in the CFP race.
While Mullen’s prediction will look outlandish to many, there’s plenty of season left for programs to prove him right. Only time will tell whether Mullen’s bold takes will be lunacy or prophecy.