ESPN predicts College Football Playoff Committee Top 12 after Week 3 with new No. 1
Week 3 of the college football season is in the books and with that, the College Football Playoff picture is starting to take a clearer shape. So, ESPN once again broke out its predictions for how the Playoff Selection Committee is going to rank its top 12 teams.
Importantly, these are not a projection of the seeds that each team might have in the College Football Playoff. They are predictions for where each team would rank. The actual seeding in the CFP is going to start with the top four conference champions based on these rankings getting a bye. The fifth highest ranked conference champion will also be in without a bye. Then, the next seven seeds will be at-large bids based on the committee’s rankings.
With all that in mind, here’s how ESPN predicted the CFP Committee would rank in the top 12, including putting a new team first overall:
1. Texas Longhorns (3-0)
The Texas Longhorns have jumped the Georgia Bulldogs in these Playoff Committee rankings predictions to take over the top spot. That comes as the Bulldogs struggled in a game they were expected to win more easily and the Longhorns continued to dominate their competition. Add in the road win over Michigan, and Texas has arguably the best resume in the country right now.
Watch College Football Games Live -Try for Free Fubo! Click HERE NOW
Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
If there is a concern about Texas, it has to be the injuries. The running back room came into the season banged up. Now, starting quarterback Quinn Ewers is dealing with an abdomen strain that forced backup Arch Manning into action. Luckily for the Longhorns, Manning looked more than ready to lead this offense.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)
The Georgia Bulldogs got a bit of a surprise in Lexington, with the Kentucky Wildcats taking them down to the wire in a 13-12 win. That was a scare that ESPN decided should cost the Bulldogs the top spot in these Playoff ranking predictions. At the same time, Georgia still looks very good and has a marquee win this season over the Clemson Tigers.
Ultimately, these top teams are going to be able to decide things on the field this season. Georgia and Texas are set to play in October. After that, there’s a good chance they could play again in the SEC Championship Game. So, for now, the focus for Georgia is just to keep winning each week.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off an early season bye week. However, to this point in the season, the Buckeyes have already proved to be a dominant force. Behind an excellent running back room, the Buckeyes are outscoring opponents 108-6.
If there’s a knock on Ohio State as it relates to the Playoff rankings, it’s their strength of schedule. To this point, the Buckeyes have had a couple of relatively easy games. Those aren’t going to earn Ohio State a ton of respect to this point. However, once the Buckeyes get to Big Ten play, they’ll have four games against teams that are currently ranked.
4. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
Through three games, Ole Miss has had one of the best offenses in the country. In particular, the passing attack has looked nearly unstoppable to this point. With the 40-6 win over Wake Forest, Ole Miss even added a dominant win over a power conference opponent.
Ultimately, Ole Miss has a similar issue to Ohio State. For the time being, the strength of schedule hasn’t been particularly difficult and won’t be getting more difficult for the next few weeks. So, until that time, it’s going to be a challenge in figuring out just how talented the high-flying Ole Miss team is this season.
5. Miami Hurricanes (3-0)
The Miami Hurricanes opened the season with a marquee win in The Swamp over rival Florida. Since then, the schedule has had a couple of opponents that have taken the spotlight off the Hurricanes but Miami has still been dominant behind quarterback Cam Ward. Now, through three games, Miami is outscoring its opponents 159-26.
Those last couple of wins aren’t necessarily going to move the needle for the College Football Playoff Selection Committee in terms of the challenge they presented. However, it’s hard to ignore just how dominant a team Miami has been. As the season goes on, Miami will have more opportunities to prove itself once ACC play starts up.
6. USC Trojans (2-0)
The USC Trojans came into the season with relatively low expectations as they transitioned into the Big Ten. Then, USC beat LSU with all eyes on them in Week 1. Since then, the Trojans have been one of the more interesting teams to try and understand. The defense looks improved but it’s going to be interesting to see if it can hold up long term.
For the time being, USC is predicted to get this spot in the Playoff rankings based on what they’ve done to this point in the season. So, based on the ranked win over LSU, ESPN has the Trojans sixth. At the same time, there’s an argument that several other teams could jump USC based on their on-field play and overall resume.
7. Oregon Ducks (3-0)
It’s been a slow start to the season for the Oregon Ducks. After playing two games that were closer than Oregon would have liked, the Ducks had to take on rival Oregon State in a game where the Beavers had all the motivation in the world to pull off an upset. Of course, that’s not what happened, and the Ducks were able to put together a much more dominant effort in that game.
Now 3-0, the Playoff Selection Committee is likely going to have to look at the whole body of work. That shows a team that’s struggled with competition it shouldn’t struggle with on paper at times and an offensive line that’s struggled. However, it also shows a well-coached team with an experienced quarterback and talent at every position.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)
The Alabama Crimson Tide came into Week 3 looking to bounce back from a frustrating win over USF in Week 2. They did so with a road trip to a challenging environment at Wisconsin where the Badgers wanted to pull off an upset. However, the Crimson Tide weren’t having any of that, winning the game 42-10.
There are a few concerns the Playoff Selection Committee is going to have with Alabama. The Crimson Tide have yet to play a ranked team this season, hurting their overall resume. On top of that, there are issues that Alabama needs to clean up, like penalties and slow starts. At the same time, this is clearly one of the most talented teams in the sport.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)
Penn State had the week off, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to regroup after surviving a Week 2 upset bid against Bowling Green. Though that ugly win won’t help, there’s still a lot to like about Penn State if you’re the Playoff Selection Committee, like an ability to overcome adversity and one of the best defenses in the country.
Like a lot of teams in these predicted rankings, Penn State lacks the strength of schedule to this point to know just how good they are. On top of that, this team still has questions to answer about its passing game. Luckily, the schedule gets much tougher down the line, with games against the likes of Ohio State and USC coming up.
10. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)
Kansas State is currently the highest Big 12 team when it comes to the College Football Playoff ranking predictions. That means that they’d be in line for the fourth seed despite being ranked 10th overall. At the same time, there’s plenty of season left to either prove themselves as being better than that or to get caught by another Big 12 school.
The Wildcats are coming off a win over Arizona that they dominated. In particular, it was the defense that didn’t give Arizona a chance to put drives together that helped to reshape that game. At the same time, after struggling to beat Tulane the week before, it’s easy to see how Kansas State could already be lower.
11. Missouri Tigers (3-0)
The Missouri Tigers struggled for a while against a ranked Boston College team before eventually coming from behind to win. That was a good Eagles team and a good win. At the same time, it was Missouri’s first challenging opponent this season. So, in many respects, where Missouri is ranked comes down to the respect Boston College has. Are they better than NC State? Clemson? For now, it’s hard to know.
Missouri clearly has plenty of talent this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Luther Burden is sensational. Now, the schedule is going to get a bit tougher as SEC play begins. However, as of now, it won’t be until late October before Missouri plays another ranked opponent.
12. Tennessee Volunteers (3-0)
Through the first three weeks, Tennessee has been a dominant force on both sides of the ball. That included beating a then-ranked NC State team by 41 points and following that up with a 71-0 win over Kent State. However, as far as the Playoff rankings are concerned, the Volunteers have a similar issue to Missouri. It’s hard to say how good those results make Tennessee in the long term.
For now, all Tennessee can do is keep winning and continue to be one of the most impressive teams in the country. That starts next weekend when the Volunteers play in one of the marquee games of the week, on the road at head coach Josh Heupel‘s alma mater, Oklahoma. A win there would be a massive boost for the Volunteers.