Paul Finebaum reveals his College Football Playoff Top 4 and 1 after pivotal Week 12

With Week 12 in the books, there is only one regular season week of college football remaining this season. That will be rivalry week and will include tons of vital late-season matchups. However, Week 12 had its impact on the College Football Playoff race too.

Analyst Paul Finebaum made an appearance on SportsCenter Sunday morning. There, he broke down the College Football Playoff race, sharing the four teams that he would have in the Playoff if the season ended right now. He also added a fifth team just on the outside looking in to keep an eye on.

Even amid a crowded race for the Playoff, Finebaum is confident in his choices for the CFP at this point in the season.

1. Georgia Bulldogs

Early in the season, Georgia suffered from slow starts and was playing a relatively weak schedule. That led to some questions about whether or not the Bulldogs should be the top-ranked team in the country, despite coming off two straight national championships. Now, there’s no doubt for Finebaum that Georgia is the top dog in the Playoff rankings.

Georgia just finished what many expected to be its toughest stretch of games this season in dominant fashion, crushing Tennessee in Neyland Stadium. Now, with the SEC Championship Game on the horizon, it looks like another trip to the Playoff is on the way for the Bulldogs. Certainly, Georgia is in good shape if it keeps winning the way it has.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of two Big Ten teams that Paul Finebaum has in the top four of his College Football Playoff rankings. The other is, obviously, Michigan. For now, though, Finebaum has the Buckeyes in front due to their better non-conference schedule this season.

This Saturday, Ohio State and Michigan will settle who the better team is on the field. It’s going to be an emotional game amid the sign-stealing scandal at Michigan and a two-game losing streak for Ohio State. The winner is on to the Big Ten Championship Game and likely the Playoff. The loser is going to need some help if it wants to stay in the top four.

3. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan earned its 1,000th win as a football program on Saturday against Maryland. It wasn’t pretty, though, with concerns about the Wolverines’ passing attack starting to rear their ugly heads. Michigan will need to figure those concerns out quickly, though, because Ohio State isn’t going to let the Wolverines off the hook like Maryland did.

Of course, that scare came without head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines. He and Michigan accepted the three-game suspension that will keep him off the sideline against Ohio State. Michigan also fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge for acting to cover up evidence of sign-stealing.

4. Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies got everything they could handle and more amid poor weather conditions from the Oregon State Beavers. In the end, quarterback Michael Penix and the Huskies survived to advance to 11-0 on the season and put themselves firmly in the College Football Playoff race. Now, Washington is just two games away from almost assuredly clinching a spot.

It won’t be easy, though. First, Washington will have an emotional game against rival Washington State in the Apple Cup. Then, the Huskies will play in the Pac-12 Championship Game, likely in a rematch against Oregon. That game is the one that could decide a Playoff participant.

5. Oregon Ducks

Oregon is coming in behind Washington for one simple reason, the Ducks lost to the Huskies. That was a very close game in Seattle, though, and with revenge on their mind, the Ducks have looked like the better team since then. A chance to play Washington again, and win this time, would be huge and would help the Ducks secure a trip to the Playoff.

First, Oregon will need to play Oregon State, though. It’s going to be a crazy environment and will be a defacto Super Bowl for the Beavers, bitter about getting left behind in realignment and abandoned by their former conference mates. Oregon State is talented and capable of pulling off the upset. So, the Ducks can’t get caught looking ahead at this point in the season.

There are only two more weeks to draw information from before the final College Football Playoff rankings come out. That starts with rivalry week and will continue into conference championship week. Teams within these rankings will play each other as well, which also means that these teams are going to suffer more losses and allow new teams the opportunity to break into the rankings.