Top college football resumes: Match the rankings, but can Ohio State keep No. 1?

As expected, last week’s resume ranking was close — but not identical — to the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first ranking. We both had Ohio State No. 1. I still wanted to see Georgia against another quality opponent before bumping the Bulldogs ahead of Michigan. The committee didn’t require that information. I also had Oklahoma ahead of Texas to honor the Sooners’ head-to-head win. The committee felt the Sooners’ loss to Kansas was enough to drop Oklahoma below the Longhorns.

The committee wins this round. Oklahoma is going to fall out after losing at Oklahoma State. Georgia didn’t dominate Missouri, but the Bulldogs beat an excellent opponent by nine. So here’s a prediction: The committee’s top 10 will match this top 10.

And that seems about right. With this much data, all the rankings should basically converge at this point. The Associated Press poll still has Georgia firmly at No. 1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bulldogs win their next two (against Ole Miss and at Tennessee) and wind up at No. 1 in the committee rankings heading into the final week of the regular season.

1. Ohio State

In my bowl projections, I have the Buckeyes making the College Football Playoff in the No. 4 spot. That would require them to lose to Michigan. So why do I still have Ohio State No. 1 here? Because these rankings only take into account what has happened on the field this season. And Ohio State still has the best wins. But Michigan has a chance to match Ohio State’s best win this week, and Georgia gets another one-loss foe at home. So this could be different next week.

2. Georgia

Missouri isn’t a fluky seven-win team, and the Tigers pushed the Bulldogs for much of the game. But Georgia’s defense got stops when it needed to, and Carson Beck had another efficient day. Next up in the late-season test? The 8-1 Ole Miss Rebels.

3. Michigan

The Wolverines jumped on Purdue, let the Boilermakers breathe for about a quarter and then began pounding them again. Most of the focus is off the field, but the on-field product remains top-notch. A visit to Penn State this week should give us a good idea of how Michigan stacks up against better competition (finally).

4. Florida State

The Seminoles beat Pittsburgh 24-7 without top receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. Meanwhile, the Miami game has lost significant luster as the Hurricanes have struggled. Florida State should be able to go 12-0 in the regular season, but the looming ACC title game against Louisville looks more daunting by the week.

5. Washington

The Huskies survived their shootout at USC, but they get no breaks. They face Utah and Oregon State in consecutive weeks, and that mulligan they earned by beating Oregon might come in handy.

6. Oregon

The Ducks led Cal by one midway through the second quarter but then blew the game open just as they have against all their opponents since Washington. USC should provide more of a challenge, but the Ducks’ style seems like a tougher matchup for the Trojans than Washington.

7. Texas

The Longhorns nearly collapsed against Kansas State, but they didn’t. Saturday’s game was the type most Texas teams of recent vintage would have lost. Winning was a huge step. And now Texas needs to hold serve against TCU, Iowa State and Texas Tech to get a chance to play in the Big 12 title game with a potential CFP berth waiting.

8. Alabama

The Crimson Tide seem to get better with each game. QB Jalen Milroe looked as comfortable as he’s looked all season in the win against LSU. Does Alabama look like a team that could beat Georgia in the SEC title game? Maybe on the right day. But that evaluation could be more pro-Alabama after a few more games.

9. Louisville

The Cardinals have allowed three points in their past two games, and first-year coach Jeff Brohm has done a great job adjusting his strategy to what his team does best. This is a team that can run the ball and dominate on defense, and Brohm is leaning into that.

10. Ole Miss

The Rebels and Penn State probably should be co-No. 10s, but they both have a chance to win spots higher up the ranking this week. Alabama beating LSU probably shuts Ole Miss out of the SEC title game, but a win against Georgia in Athens could vault the Rebels into the CFP conversation.