Kirk Herbstreit releases College Football Playoff Top 4, first 2 out after Week 8

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his personal College Football Playoff rankings. That includes the top four teams that he would have in the Playoff and the first two on the outside looking in through eight weeks of action.

These are coming before the College Football Playoff Selection Committee has met to release its own rankings. That’s going to happen on October 31st, following Week 9 of play. So, these are truly based on what Herbstreit thinks of every team and isn’t going to be influenced by the direction that the rankings are heading in at this point.

There were a few major shakeups and upset scares in Week 8, including Penn State losing while Oklahoma and Washington spent their Saturday on upset alert. Below are Herbstreit’s rankings that reflect the impact of those games, among others.

1. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan was hit with reports that the program was being investigated for stealing signs in the week leading up to the Wolverines’ game against rival Michigan State. If that was on Michigan’s mind, though, it wasn’t obvious on the field. Michigan absolutely dominated Michigan State by a score of 49-0 and in many ways the game was over in the first half.

For now, Kirk Herbstreit has Michigan on top of his College Football Playoff rankings. Nobody has been as consistently dominant as the Wolverines and that will likely continue. Admittedly, Michigan is relatively untested to this point. However, games against Penn State and Ohio State are going to be all the Wolverines need to prove themselves.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are looking to win their third national championship in a row. Along the way, the Bulldogs haven’t lost a game since the 2021 SEC Championship. Still, Kirk Herbstreit has Georgia behind Michigan. He doesn’t explain why he has any team where they are in the rankings, but this decision was probably based on some of the inconsistencies that the Bulldogs have shown and the Wolverines have not.

With a new quarterback in Carson Beck and a new offensive coordinator in Mike Bobo, Georgia dealt with some slow starts, particularly early in the season. Still, the Bulldogs kept consistently winning. However, now Georgia’s offense is going to need to overcome the loss of All-American tight end Brock Bowers who went down with an ankle injury against Vanderbilt.

3. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State came into the season with high expectations and the Seminoles immediately lived up to those expectations. The Seminoles beat LSU and Clemson in September, making the Seminoles an immediate threat for the College Football Playoff. With a win against Duke, which Kirk Herbstreit was in attendance for, Florida State helped to make sure they’re known as one of the best teams in the country.

From this point on, the schedule appears to be fairly manageable for Florida State before the ACC Championship Game. That means the Seminoles likely aren’t leaving the conversation this season. However, it also gives Florida State very little margin for error when another team may be adding another, potentially more impressive win, later in the season.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State played in the marquee game of Week 8. The Buckeyes hosted Penn State and walked away with a one-score win. Throughout the game, the Ohio State defense was incredibly impressive, shutting down the Nittany Lions’ passing attack. The offense, led by Marvin Harrison Jr., did enough to put the game out of reach and earned a huge win in the process.

Last season, Ohio State made the Playoff without beating Michigan or winning the Big Ten. That, hypothetically, could happen again this season depending on what happens around the country. Still, head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes would love to knock off the Wolverines and clinch their spot in the Playoff that way.

First Out: Washington Huskies

Two weeks ago, Washington had one of the biggest wins of the season when the Huskies beat the Oregon Ducks in a thriller. Then, against a struggling Arizona State team, it looked like the Huskies may not have been as focused as they should be. Star quarterback Michael Penix struggled while the Sun Devils nearly upset the Huskies in one of the week’s most surprising games.

Washington, however, is still unbeaten with an excellent resume. The Huskies also have an upcoming game on the road at USC, as well as the potential Pac-12 Championship, which could be a huge boost to the team’s resume. So, for now, Washington is in good shape.

Second Out: Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma had a very similar week to Washington. The Sooners got a massive win over Texas. Then, they had a bye week before hosting UCF, an unranked opponent. Still, the Knights put the fear of God into Oklahoma, leading for a large portion of the second half and having a two-point conversion attempt to try and tie the game late. That didn’t work out for UCF, though, and Oklahoma survived.

The Sooners are going to be plagued in the College Football Playoff rankings by a relatively weak strength of schedule that may force the Sooners to be perfect the rest of the way, including in the Big 12 Championship. It also wouldn’t hurt to get some help and upset losses around the country.

At this point in the season, the College Football Playoff picture is getting much clearer. There is a clear layer of teams with a shot to make the Playoff and those who are a tier below them as they compete for a potential New Year’s Six birth. For now, though, the debate about the Playoff will continue to rage on throughout college football.