Paul Finebaum reveals Top 4 College Football Playoff projection ahead of initial CFP poll

Entering Week 8, the college football season is officially in its backstretch. The first College Football Playoff Rankings will soon be out following Week 9, which means that the Playoff picture is coming into better shape in the second half of the season.

At this point, however, there are still several teams that deserve to be in the Playoff race. Because of that, there is a lot of debate about who should currently be ranked where. That included on Get Up, where Paul Finebaum revealed his top-four teams for the College Football Playoff ahead of Week 8. Finebaum started with the two-time defending national champions out of the SEC, Georgia. After that, he looked around the country into a crowded Playoff field.

Check out Paul Finebaum’s current College Football Playoff field, here:

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs haven’t lost a game since the 2021 SEC Championship Game. In the meantime, the Bulldogs have won two national championships and gotten off to another hot start in 2023. It’s a remarkable run that Georgia is on but some people still aren’t convinced about the 2023 team due to a weak strength of schedule to this point and the injury to Brock Bowers.

However, Paul Finebaum has no doubt that Georgia belongs in the top spot of the College Football Playoff Rankings at this point. After all, the fact Oklahoma came off the schedule wasn’t necessarily Georgia’s fault and the Bulldogs have dominated their opponents. Besides that, Finebaum reminded everyone that Brock Bowers should be back at some point this season.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Big Ten has three teams at the top, all of which are in the East and will play this season. So, there is going to be some level of sorting one another out over the course of the season. For now, though, Paul Finebaum has Ohio State second in his rankings, largely thanks to a road win against Notre Dame.

This week, the Buckeyes will play Penn State this upcoming weekend. A win would be huge for the program trying to secure a Playoff spot. However, with the Michigan Wolverines still on the schedule, a loss wouldn’t end their season either.

3. Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines have been to the College Football Playoff two seasons in a row. However, after losing in the semifinal twice, the Wolverines are trying to find a way to get over the hump. For now, at least, Paul Finebaum expects Michigan to get that opportunity.

Just like Ohio State, Michigan is one of several Big Ten East schools competing for the College Football Playoff in 2023. To this point, the Wolverines haven’t played either of the teams seriously competing for the Playoff race. However, those opportunities are coming in the later stretch of the season.

4. Washington Huskies

Last weekend, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies demanded the attention of the college football world with a massive win over the Oregon Ducks. According to Paul Finebuam, that win was good enough to put them in his top four. However, Finebaum did admit that it’s a very crowded field that’s currently vying for the spot.

It’s impossible to say that Washington doesn’t have the inside track on a Playoff spot, though. The win over Oregon was a marquee game and the Huskies will have the chance to add another huge win on the road against USC later this season. That’s not including the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Ultimately, Paul Finebaum admitted that it’s a very crowded field right now for the College Football Playoff race. There are several deserving teams at this point in the season. The first College Football Playoff Rankings will come out following Week 9. At that point, the national picture and what the committee values will start to take better shape.