There’s not likely to be a change at the very top of the College Football Playoff rankings this week, but the race is on for at-large positions and the ACC and Group of Five allocated spots in the 12-team field
The top three-ranked teams – undefeated Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M – all won their games and figure to maintain the top three spots.
The shuffling begins after that, with No. 4 Alabama’s 23-21 fall at home to No. 11 Oklahoma leaving the door open for No. 5 Georgia to move up after the Bulldogs dominated No. 10 Texas, 35-10.
Georgia’s projected move into the top four of the rankings -- it’s unlikely Texas Tech jumps UGA after its convincing win over the Longhorns -- opens the possibility for the Bulldogs to get a first-round bye without having to play in the SEC championship game.
The Red Raiders, currently a spot behind Georgia in the rankings, play unranked West Virginia next week and are projected to play No. 12 BYU -- a program it beat earlier this season in Lubbock, 29-7, in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Meanwhile, the pecking order among at-large spots figures to be hotly debated.
The Sooners’ 23-21 win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa should move Oklahoma up into the top 10 of the CFP rankings, which figures to be the cut-off for at-large teams.
The ACC champ and highest-ranked Group of Five conference champ – both guaranteed spots in the field -- figure to get the final two slots with No. 11 and No. 12 seeds.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey expressed confidence his league’s quality depth would play out with multiple CFP field bids.
“We want to earn our opportunities,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a gathering with media in the Sanford Stadium press box prior to the Texas at Georgia game on Saturday night in Athens.
“I think we’ve established ourselves in both non-conference play and what happens week to week on the football field in a league with great strength.”
The ACC bid remains very much up for grabs with four teams still with only one conference loss vying for a spot in the league’s championship game:
• No. 16 Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 ACC)
• No. 19 Virginia (9-2, 6-1)
• No. 22 Pitt (7-3, 5-1)
• SMU (7-3, 5-1).
Miami, the ACC’s highest-ranked team in the CFP standings last week, at No. 15, scored a dominant 41-7 win over North Carolina State to maintain its slim playoff hopes.
The Group of Five race is much more complex, as the CFP selection committee looks to pick the best champion from the five non-Power 4 conferences.
American Athletic Conference (AAC)-member South Florida was the highest-ranked Group of Five team last week, but the Bulls fell on the road at Navy, 41-38, and appear to be on the outside of the CFP race looking in with three losses.
Sun Belt Conference leader James Madison, at 9-1, could find itself in what amounts to a beauty contest with AAC leaders North Texas (9-1), Tulane (8-2) and Navy (8-2).
Here’s a look at how the seedings and projected matchups could look when the CFP rankings are released on Tuesday night:
First-round byes
- No. 1 Ohio State
- No. 2 Indiana
- No. 3 Texas A&M
- No. 4 Georgia
First-round games
- No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 James Madison
- No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech
- No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 Alabama
- No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
Quarterfinal games
At the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
• No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Texas Tech winner vs. No. 4 Georgia
• No. 11 Georgia Tech-No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No.3 Texas A&M
• No. 10 Alabama/No. 7 Oregon winner vs. No. 2 Indiana
• No. 9 Oklahoma/No. 8 Notre Dame winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State
How the CFP Top 25 fared
(with notable other results below)
- Ohio State (10-0) - Defeated UCLA, 48-10
- Indiana (11-0) - Defeated Wisconsin, 31-7
- Texas A&M (10-0) - Defeated South Carolina, 31-30
- Alabama (8-2) - Lost to No. 11 Oklahoma, 23-21
- Georgia (9-1) - Defeated No. 10 Texas, 35-10
- Texas Tech (10-1) - Defeated UCF, 48-9
- Ole Miss (10-1) - Defeated Florida, 34-24
- Oregon (9-1) - Defeated Minnesota, 42-13
- Notre Dame (8-2) - Won at Pitt, 37-15
- Texas (7-3) - Lost at No. 5 Georgia, 35-10
- Oklahoma (8-2) - Won at No. 4 Alabama, 23-21
- BYU (9-1) - Defeated TCU, 44-13
- Utah (8-2) - Won at Baylor, 55-28
- Vanderbilt (8-2) - Did not play
- Miami (8-2) -Defeated North Carolina State, 41-7
- Georgia Tech (9-1) - Won at Boston College, 36-34
- USC (8-2) - Defeated No. 21 Iowa, 26-21
- Michigan (8-2) - Won at Northwestern, 24-22
- Virginia (9-2) - Won at Duke, 34-17
- Louisville (7-3) - Lost 20-19 to Clemson
- Iowa (6-4) - Lost at No. 17 USC, 26-21
- Pitt (7-3) - Lost to No. 9 Notre Dame, 37-15
- Tennessee (7-3) - Defeated New Mexico State, 42-9
- South Florida (7-3) - Lost at Navy, 41-38
- Cincinnati (7-3) - Lost to Arizona, 30-24
Others to note
- AP poll No. 24 James Madison (9-1) - Defeated Appalachian State, 58-10
- AP poll No. 26 Tulane (8-2) - Defeated Florida Atlantic, 35-24
- AP poll No. 28 North Texas (9-1) - Defeated UAB, 53-24
- Navy (8-2) - Defeated No. 24 South Florida, 41-38
