ESPN predicts College Football Playoff Top 12 rankings after crazy Week 6
Several big-time upsets in Week 6 have shifted the College Football Playoff picture. As a result, ESPN analyst Heather Dinich has updated her predictions for the 12-team field.
No. 1 Alabama suffered a road upset against Vanderbilt on Saturday, falling 40-35 as Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia put on a show. The Crimson Tide dropped six spots to No. 7 in the AP poll as a result, but still come in at No. 3 in Dinich’s CFP rankings.
Alabama wasn’t the only team to suffer an upset, as Tennessee also dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 in Dinich’s rankings after falling 19-14 against Arkansas. Both the Vols and Crimson Tide still come in ranked above several undefeated teams but will need to finish conference play strong to give themselves a shot at the CFP.
You can view the full College Football Playoff rankings from ESPN below.
1. Texas Longhorns (5-0)
Texas had a bye this past week as it gears up to take on Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday. The Longhorns have played the past two games without starting quarterback Quinn Ewers due to injury, but reports have indicated he will return against the Sooners.
Even without Ewers, Texas has looked like one of the top teams in the country. The Longhorns are sure to be hungry for revenge after falling to OU in last year’s edition of the rivalry. After that, they’ll have another opportunity for a statement win against No. 5 Georgia in Week 8.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
The Buckeyes offense proved itself Saturday with how it was able to move the ball against Iowa, which is regarded as one of the top defenses in the country. It took Ohio State a while to get going, but it seized control in the second half on its way to a 35-7 win.
Will Howard finished with 209 yards passing and four touchdowns — three of which went to Emeka Egbuka — to only one interception. True freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith and running back Quinshon Judkins have also been impressive for this star-studded offense. Ohio State will face an even bigger test this Saturday when it takes on No. 3 Oregon.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1)
Alabama suffered the most shocking upset of the country this past week as it never led in the 40-35 loss against Vanderbilt. After at one point trailing by two touchdowns, the Crimson Tide battled back to make it just a 30-28 Commodores lead late in the third quarter.
Unfortunately, they would fumble the ball back on their next drive after crossing the 50-yard line, allowing Vanderbilt to score on its next drive and put the game away. A win last week against Georgia is the biggest reason the Crimson Tide still find themselves so high on this list despite the loss, according to Dinich.
4. Georgia Bulldogs (4-1)
Georgia bounced back from last week’s loss against Alabama to cruise to a 31-13 victory against Auburn on Saturday. The Bulldogs’ Week 1 win against Clemson and a 13-12 victory against Kentucky in Week 3 also look a lot more impressive than they did initially with both teams having yet to lose since.
The head-to-head loss against the Crimson Tide will keep Georgia one spot behind them until something else changes. The Bulldogs face Mississippi State on Saturday before hitting the road to face Texas in a game that will have major College Football Playoff implications in Week 8.
5. Tennessee Volunteers (4-1)
The Vols offense has taken a step or two back in SEC play against stiffer competition. It should be noted that receivers Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton both suffered injuries in the 19-14 loss to Arkansas on Saturday, though both later returned to the game.
It’s possible that the committee might give the nod to one of the undefeated teams below Tennessee in this spot. However, Dinich argues that the strong defensive played paired with the knowledge of the injuries should be enough to keep the Vols at No. 5.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0)
Penn State has managed to make it through its first five games unscathed, but hasn’t been as dominant in the wins as one would like to see. Still, the defense has been among the best in the country and the rushing attack once again ranks top 20 in the country in yards per game.
The backfield duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen allow the Nittany Lions to stay fresh and wear down opposing defenses on the ground. We’ll find out a lot more about Penn State in the coming weeks, as it has road games against USC and Wisconsin before returning home to face Ohio State.
7. Oregon Ducks (5-0)
Oregon is off to a 5-0 start, but its best win this season has come against Boise State in Week 2. The Ducks’ two conference wins thus far come against teams that are a combined 4-7 on the season.
Top 10
- 1Hot
Arkansas fined $250k
Hogs upset of Vols proves costly
- 2
AP Top 25
College Football Rankings released after Week 6 following slew of upsets
- 3Trending
Joel Klatt calls out ESPN
FOX analyst calls out ESPN over SEC bias
- 4
Coaches Poll shake up
Coaches Poll Top 25 sees big movement
- 5
SEC fines Vandy
Vanderbilt fined after field rush following Bama upset
That will change Saturday as they play host to Ohio State in a primetime game that will have massive implications for the Big Ten title race. Transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been solid so far, throwing for 1,449 yards and 11 touchdowns to three interceptions, and will hope to lead the Ducks to a resume-building win.
8. Miami Hurricanes (6-0)
Miami has had a couple of close calls in its past two games after opening the season with four straight dominant wins. The Hurricanes nearly fell on the road to California this past week and at one point trailed by as many as 25 points.
However, they would go on to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead TD from Cam Ward with 26 seconds remaining, to escape with a 39-38 win. Ward has been one of the most electric players in the country this season with a FBS-leading 20 passing touchdowns and is a big reason why Miami is the favorite to win the ACC.
9. Clemson Tigers (4-1)
Many were ready to write Clemson off after it suffered an embarrassing 34-3 loss against Georgia in the opening week. However, the Tigers have since reeled off four straight wins and look to be finding their rhythm offensively under quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Clemson has scored at least 40 points in three of its past four games as Klubnik has thrown for 14 touchdowns to just one interception in that span. However, Dinich notes that the Tigers face a fairly weak schedule and could find themselves in a tricky spot if it doesn’t win the ACC.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (5-1)
The College Football Playoff chances for Ole Miss took a huge hit in Week 5 as the Rebels suffered a 20-17 home loss to Kentucky. They rebounded Saturday by going on to road to earn a 27-3 win against South Carolina in a game where the defense dominated.
So far, that is the only win Ole Miss has against a power conference team that has a winning record. The SEC schedule is about to get a lot tougher starting with LSU on Saturday, and these next few games will determine whether the Rebels finish with a resume worthy of an at-large bid.
11. BYU Cougars (5-0)
BYU was picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 preseason poll, but with the top five teams all already having one league loss, the Cougars could win the conference. If that were the case, they would earn an automatic bid to the CFP as one of the highest-ranked conference champions.
BYU is now one of only five teams left in the Big 12 who have yet to lose a conference game. They have a big game coming up this week against Arizona, which boasts one of the top passing attacks in the Big 12.
12. Boise State Broncos (4-1)
Boise State is the favorite to make it in the College Football Playoff as the Group of 5 representative as many expect it to win the Mountain West. The Broncos are led by running back Ashton Jeanty, who has generated some Heisman buzz after rushing for 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns through the first five games.
Jeanty has topped 100 yards rushing in every game so far, including reach the 200-yard mark twice. Boise State showed it can compete with the top teams in the country as it nearly beat Oregon in Week 2 and should be the easy choice assuming it wins its conference title.