Tag: rankings

Texas Tech linebackers Ben Roberts and John Curry react to a play against BYU during a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Top 5 remains same, Texas Tech jumps to 6th in CFP rankings update

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The top five teams remained unchanged while Texas Tech leapt up two spots to No. 6 in the second version of this year’s College Football Playoff rankings, which were announced Tuesday night.

The three remaining FBS unbeaten teams are at the top of the rankings, with defending champion Ohio State No. 1 followed by No. 2 Indiana and No. 3 Texas A&M. Alabama and Georgia round out the top five.

The Red Raiders climbed over Ole Miss and BYU after soundly beating the latter 29-7 in what was a top-10 matchup Saturday. The Cougars fell five spots to No. 12, also being surpassed by Ole Miss, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas and Oklahoma, which round out the top 11.

Virginia and Louisville each fell five spots as well from No. 14 and 15 to No. 19 and 20. The Cavaliers lost starting quarterback Chandler Morris to injury and fell 16-9 at home to Wake Forest while the Cardinals dropped a 29-26 overtime decision at home to Cal.

Miami and Michigan were the biggest risers, each jumping three spots. The Hurricanes leapt to No. 15., becoming the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team — one spot ahead of Georgia Tech — after their 38-10 beatdown of Syracuse. The Wolverines improved to No. 18 despite being on bye because of losses by teams ahead of them.

Washington and Missouri fell out of this week’s rankings after losing Saturday to Wisconsin and Texas A&M, respectively. They were replaced by South Florida at No. 24 and Cincinnati in the 25th and final spot.

After there was no team from outside the Power Four conferences in the first rankings last week, South Florida from the American Conference has entered this week. They would be the Group of 6 team representative if the CFP field was being announced today thanks to Memphis’ 38-32 loss to Tulane last Friday.

Unlike last year, the top four teams in the rankings get the top four seeds regardless of conference, rather than the four best conference champs receiving first-round byes. That led to a pair of Big Ten teams and a pair of SEC teams slotted in at Nos. 1-4. Seeds 5-8 get to host first-round games at campus sites.

The final CFP rankings will be released on Sunday, Dec. 7, after all of the conference championship games have taken place.

CFP initial bracket
First-round games:
–No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia
–No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Texas Tech
–No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Ole Miss
–No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon
First-round byes: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama

CFP Top 25
1. Ohio State (9-0)
2. Indiana (10-0)
3. Texas A&M (9-0)
4. Alabama (8-1)
5. Georgia (8-1)
6. Texas Tech (9-1)
7. Ole Miss (9-1)
8. Oregon (8-1)
9. Notre Dame (7-2)
10. Texas (7-2)
11. Oklahoma (7-2)
12. BYU (8-1)
13. Utah (7-2)
14. Vanderbilt (8-2)
15. Miami (7-2)
16. Georgia Tech (8-1)
17. Southern California (7-2)
18. Michigan (7-2)
19. Virginia (8-2)
20. Louisville (7-2)
21. Iowa (6-3)
22. Pitt (7-2)
23. Tennessee (6-3)
24. South Florida (7-2)
25. Cincinnati (7-2)

–Field Level Media

Grading first CFP rankings: What committee got right, wrong

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The College Football Playoff committee had a few surprises in store when it released its first rankings and projected field of 12 teams of the season Tuesday night.

Much was as expected, with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia making up the top five. On the less anticipated side of things, Utah checked in at No. 13 — four spots higher than its place in this week’s AP Top 25 poll — and no team outside the Power 4 conferences was given a spot.

With four weeks of regular season left plus conference championship weekend, there’s still plenty of time for things to be flipped on their head. Last year, nine of the 12 teams in the first projected bracket made it into the CFP while eventual Big 12 champion Arizona State wasn’t even in the top 25.

Here’s a look at the top 15 teams in the first rankings, their path here and the rest of the way, along with an assessment of where they were placed.

1. Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten)

How they got here: New QB Julian Sayin has been a sensation, and their defense is allowing 6.9 points per game.

Grading the ranking: A

Ohio State doesn’t have the best resume, but it’s hard to argue with keeping the defending champs No. 1 until they lose.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Rival (and recent demon) Michigan is the only real test left on the regular-season schedule. Then there’s the Big Ten championship game — almost certainly against Indiana and potentially to determine a top-four seed.

2. Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten)

How they got here: The Hoosiers have shown last year was no fluke with the best average margin of victory (35.7 points) in the country.

Grading the ranking: A

Indiana probably has the single-best win (at No. 9 Oregon) and has a strong case for No. 1.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Indiana’s last three opponents are a combined 0-16 in Big Ten play. The likely Big Ten title game vs. Ohio State looms as a chance for Indiana to claim No. 1.

3. Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC)

How they got here: Texas A&M’s ferocious defense leads the nation in sacks per game (4.0) while QB Marcel Reed has entered the Heisman conversation.

Grading the ranking: A-

Wins at Notre Dame and LSU could make a case for the Aggies being ranked even higher.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Texas A&M has two ranked road games left, this weekend at No. 22 Missouri and Thanksgiving weekend at No. 11 Texas.

4. Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC)

How they got here: Since losing its opener, Alabama has been on a roll, looking positively Nick Saban-esque with four consecutive ranked wins.

Grading the ranking: B

The loss to Florida State hasn’t aged well. Should Alabama be the highest-ranked one-loss team?

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Only one ranked opponent left (No. 12 Oklahoma), but games against LSU and Auburn always have a chance of getting crazy.

5. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)

How they got here: The Bulldogs have been hard to kill, trailing or tied at halftime in five of their last six games before winning four of them.

Grading the ranking: A

Georgia’s head-to-head loss to Alabama understandably puts it one spot behind the Tide.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: The Bulldogs still have Texas and upstart rival No. 17 Georgia Tech, which was unbeaten until Saturday, on the schedule.

6. Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1 SEC)

How they got here: D2 transfer QB Trinidad Chambliss has stepped up, anchoring wins over LSU and at Oklahoma.

Grading the ranking: B+

The Rebels’ lone loss at Georgia is defensible, but they’ve also had some unexpectedly close wins.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: With only The Citadel, Florida and Mississippi State left, Ole Miss has a very possible path to 11-1 and its first playoff berth.

7. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)

How they got here: With three one-score wins in the last five games, the Cougars have been great in the clutch with freshman QB Bear Bachmeier.

Grading the ranking: C-

BYU may have started the season unranked, but keeping it below three one-loss teams is a bit harsh.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: BYU has among the toughest paths left with a pair of ranked opponents on the road, starting with No. 8 Texas Tech this week.

8. Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12)

How they got here: Spending a reported $28 million on their roster, the Red Raiders have looked the part. They’d probably be top-five were it not for the slip-up at Arizona State.

Grading the ranking: A

The Big 12 of it all hurts Texas Tech’s standing, but at least it is above all two-loss teams.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: The aforementioned BYU game this weekend is followed by games against two teams that are a combined 2-9 in Big 12 play.

9. Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)

How they got here: Oregon lost at home for the first time since 2022, but has otherwise taken care of business, which is the norm under coach Dan Lanning.

Grading the ranking: A+

Oregon’s resume to date is not particularly good, now that what was thought to be a signature win vs. Penn State is decidedly not one. The Ducks haven’t beaten a single ranked team and the one they played — Indiana — they lost to at home by 10 points. Good on the committee for being harsher than the AP voters.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: If the Ducks make the playoff, they’ll have earned it, considering three of their final four opponents (No. 20 Iowa, No. 19 USC and No. 23 Washington) are in the CFP top 25.

10. Notre Dame (6-2)

How they got here: Since starting 0-2 vs. Miami and Texas A&M, the Fighting Irish have taken care of business to climb back into contention.

Grading the ranking: C-

Notre Dame has looked much better of late, but has beaten just one ranked team and three teams above .500. Should it be the highest two-loss team?

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Coming off its first loss, 7-1 Navy awaits this weekend while Pittsburgh, which has won five straight, is after that.

11. Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC)

How they got here: The preseason No. 1 team fell out of the rankings in October, but appears to be rounding into form with four straight wins and is coming off a ranked win over Vanderbilt.

Grading the ranking: B

Texas gets the benefit of the doubt with how good it has looked lately and the fact that its Ohio State loss has aged very well.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: No team in playoff contention has a harder path to a berth. Two of the Longhorns’ final three games (at Georgia and vs. Texas A&M) are against top-five teams.

12. Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC)

How they got here: QB John Mateer hasn’t looked the same since coming back from thumb surgery, but their top-tier defense can keep them in any game.

Grading the ranking: B+

Reasonable range for a team that has a few big wins but also multiple losses.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: The Sooners probably need to win out to make it. That won’t be easy with a trip to Alabama Nov. 15 followed by Missouri at home.

13. Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12)

How they got here: Utah has the third-best rushing offense in the country (267.1 yards per game) with a huge win (45-14 over then-No. 17 Cincinnati) and a humbling loss (34-10 at home to No. 8 Texas Tech) on its resume.

Grading the ranking: C+

This one is certainly the biggest surprise as the only team outside the AP’s top 15 to make the CFP top 15, and doing so comfortably. The Utes’ good is quite good, but they’ve proven to be inconsistent. Them being above Virginia and Louisville does not speak kindly about how the ACC is being viewed by the committee.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Utah’s last three games are against three teams that are all .500 in Big 12 play: Baylor, Kansas State and Kansas.

14. Virginia (8-1, 5-0 ACC)

How they got here: No team has been more clutch than Virginia, which has won seven straight, three of those in overtime and another by two points on a late safety.

Grading the ranking: B

A case can be made that the Cavaliers should be above the two-loss teams, but given how close many of the games have been, it’s understandable why they aren’t.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: Duke on Nov. 15 is the toughest test left, but the Cavaliers have beaten rival Virginia Tech just once in the last 20 matchups.

15. Louisville (7-1, 4-1 ACC)

How they got here: Louisville has lived up to its hype as an ACC dark horse, making a statement with a win at then-No. 2 Miami.

Grading the ranking: C+

Considering Louisville has a better win and one fewer loss, one could make a strong case that the Cardinals should be above Texas.

Remaining roadblocks to the playoff: No ranked opponents lie ahead on the rest of Louisville’s schedule. But Clemson is talented and a trip to SMU (Nov. 22) just tripped up Miami.

–Curt Weiler, Field Level Media

Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M lead first CFP rankings of season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State claimed the No. 1 spot in the initial rankings released by the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday night, with Big Ten rival Indiana right behind at No. 2.

The defending national champion Buckeyes won’t face the Hoosiers until a potential collision in the Big Ten championship game. Neither has stumbled this season and they are widely considered the two best teams in college football.

Texas A&M, undefeated like Ohio State and Indiana, came in No. 3 in the first rankings reveal of the season. Then the committee rewarded a trio of one-loss SEC teams, with Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss slotting in No. 5-7.

Rounding out the top 10 were unbeaten Big 12 leader BYU, followed by Texas Tech, Oregon and two-loss Notre Dame. Oregon was seventh in the AP Top 25 poll this week, ahead of BYU and Texas Tech, but the Ducks were apparently dinged for having no quality win on their resume (a 30-24 victory at Penn State lost its luster when the Nittany Lions lost the next four games).

No teams from outside the Power 4 conferences made the initial rankings. Memphis, though it fell outside the committee’s top 25, was penciled in as the No. 12 playoff seed as the fifth highest-rated conference champion.

Memphis was No. 22 in the AP poll this week, and the Tigers are battling Navy, North Texas and Tulane for the American Conference championship and an auto-bid into the field.

Upstart Virginia also benefits from being projected as one of five conference champs. The Cavaliers are No. 14 in the initial rankings but the highest among ACC teams, thus earning the No. 11 seed in the mock bracket.

Unlike last year, the top four teams in the rankings get the top four seeds regardless of conference, rather than granting the four best conference champs first-round byes. That led to a pair of Big Ten teams and a pair of SEC teams slotted in at Nos. 1-4. Seeds 5-8 get to host first-round games at campus sites.

The final CFP rankings will be released on Sunday, Dec. 7, after all conference championship games have taken place.

CFP initial bracket
First-round games:
–No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia
–No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Ole Miss
–No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 BYU
–No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Texas Tech
First-round byes: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama

CFP initial Top 25
1. Ohio State (8-0)
2. Indiana (9-0)
3. Texas A&M (8-0)
4. Alabama (7-1)
5. Georgia (7-1)
6. Ole Miss (8-1)
7. BYU (8-0)
8. Texas Tech (8-1)
9. Oregon (7-1)
10. Notre Dame (6-2)
11. Texas (7-2)
12. Oklahoma (7-2)
13. Utah (7-2)
14. Virginia (8-1)
15. Louisville (7-1)
16. Vanderbilt (7-2)
17. Georgia Tech (8-1)
18. Miami (6-2)
19. Southern California (6-2)
20. Iowa (6-2)
21. Michigan (7-2)
22. Missouri (6-2)
23. Washington (6-2)
24. Pitt (7-2)
25. Tennessee (6-3)

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Lions 27-13. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Week 2 Power Rankings: Dynasties don’t last forever

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The first off day of the NFL regular season arrived Tuesday and a collective deep breath could be in order.

A loss by the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens’ lateral of a sure victory into the hands of the Buffalo Bills are no cause for immediate panic.

All three teams remain in the upper echelon of the AFC, but is the balance of power shifting conferences?

Philadelphia had its hands full with Dallas and wasn’t the most impressive team out of the gate. That gold star goes to the Green Bay Packers for a complete team effort in steamrolling the Detroit Lions out of Lambeau Field.

We take stock the bottom-to-top NFL pecking order after a first look at every team in Week 1.

32. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
Last Week: L, 23-20 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Up Next: vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. ET
Surprisingly competitive in Kellen Moore’s debut, the Saints are still a QB away from being a contender in the NFC South.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Last Week: L, 26-10 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Up Next: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
Subtracting security blanket Adam Thielen (now on Vikings) was a hit to Bryce Young, who also took the field without starting LT Ikem Ekwonu at Jacksonville.

30. New York Giants (0-1)
Last Week: L, 21-6 at Washington Commanders
Up Next: at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET
No one returned to New York on Sunday night enthralled with the offense, but the Giants opt to stick with Russell Wilson on the road again this week.

29. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Last Week: L, 17-16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Up Next: at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland’s defense was more than good enough to win. The Browns held the Bengals to 141 yards — seven in the second half — and 2.0 yards per carry.

28. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Last Week: L, 20-12 at Denver Broncos
Up Next: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 1 p.m. ET
Protecting Cam Ward was a problem at Denver, and life won’t get any easier this week. NFL-high four takeaways something to build on for Titans.

27. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Last Week: L, 33-8 at Indianapolis Colts
Up Next: vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Mike Vrabel has some fixing to do or the Patriots’ pass defense will be the victim in a get-right week for Tua Tagovailoa.

26. New England Patriots (0-1)
Last Week: L, 20-13 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Up Next: at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
One of these teams exhales on Sunday night. The other starts hearing NFL draft talk. Drake Maye should be smiling after the Dolphins made Daniel Jones look the part of Unitas last week.

25. New York Jets (0-1)
Last Week: L, 34-32 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Up Next: vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
Kudos to Justin Fields for the fight. Lost in the QB chatter was the sterling performance of the Jets’ maligned offensive line.

24. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-13 at New England Patriots
Up Next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 10 p.m. ET (Monday)
RB Ashton Jeanty ran for nine yards on his first carry, then 28 yards on his next 18. Teams are already scheming to take Jeanty away, inviting the Raiders to have QB Geno Smith counterpunch.

23. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Last Week: L, 24-20 at Philadelphia Eagles
Up Next: vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Going scoreless in the second half spoiled a strong upset bid from the Cowboys. Trick will be getting same focus, effort from both lines consistently.

22. Indianapolis Colts (1-0)
Last Week: W, 33-8
Up Next: vs. Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET
Daniel Jones aced remedial test against turnover-happy Dolphins for Colts first Week 1 win since 2013. Denver’s toothy pass rush and secondary crank things up a notch.

21. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
Last Week: L, 17-13 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Up Next: at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET
No risk, no reward. Seahawks lost two fumbles, averaged 3.2 yards per carry and tried to survive with paper-airplane range pass completions.

20. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-13 at New Orleans Saints
Up Next: vs. Carolina Panthers, 4:05 p.m. ET
Schedule-maker teed up the Cardinals with a shot at 2-0 before a trip to San Francisco.

19. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Last Week: L, 23-20 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Up Next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Don’t look now, but the Falcons have lost seven of their past nine games. Those two wins came against Desmond Ridder (Raiders) and Drew Lock (Giants) last season.

18. Chicago Bears (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-24 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Up Next: at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Ben Johnson dropped his Bears debut, blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. Out of the frying pan and into the fryer? Lions will be riled up after a blowout loss at Packers.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
Last Week: W, 26-10 vs. Carolina Panthers
Up Next: at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
There’s a whole lot of overreaction love for a Jacksonville win over the Panthers. We’re playing harder to get until seeing another inspired team effort.

16. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 17-13 at Seattle Seahawks
Up Next: at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET
Has the physical bill come due on the 49ers’ run of success under Kyle Shanahan? Without George Kittle for at least a few weeks, the 49ers are not deep enough to dip down the depth chart at multiple positions.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 34-32 at New York Jets
Up Next: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stat sheet says vintage Aaron Rodgers. He was pressured and accuracy was far from pinpoint. If Pittsburgh can’t dig out some running room, Week 1 was a major mirage. Steelers also allowed 182 rushing yards to Jets.

14. Houston Texans (0-1)
Last Week: L, 14-9 at Los Angeles Rams
Up Next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET (Monday)
Offense sputtered and Texans managed only three field goals in Week 1. Home opener in primetime brings urgency.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Last Week: W, 17-16 at Cleveland Browns
Up Next: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Explosive offense went flat with 2.0 yard-per-carry average and one 20-yard pass play.

12. Denver Broncos (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-12 vs. Tennessee Titans
Up Next: at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m. ET
No sleeping on the Broncos’ pass rush. Denver has five-plus sacks in three consecutive regular-season games.

11. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-21 vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Brazil)
Up Next: at Las Vegas Raiders, 10 p.m. ET (Monday)
A couple of extra days to prepare for the new-look Raiders sets up the Chargers to get to 2-0 before a surprising showdown with the Broncos on Sept. 21.

10. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-24 at Chicago Bears
Up Next: at Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Scintillating comeback by J.J. McCarthy allows for a mulligan on the forgettable first half by the Vikings in Chicago.

9. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Last Week: W, 14-9 vs. Houston Texans
Up Next: at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Losing their first three games on the road last season might imply Week 2 a risky trap at Nashville for the Rams. But this defense will travel, and rookies rarely thrive under the type of duress the Rams’ front can pile on a QB.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 23-20 at Atlanta Falcons
Up Next: at Houston Texans, 7 p.m. ET (Monday)
Rookie Emeka Egbuka caught two TDs last week. His matchup with the stellar secondary of the Texans should be worth the price of admission.

7. Washington Commanders (1-0)
Last Week: W, 21-6 vs. New York Giants
Up Next: at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Picked up where they left off last season with 432 yards and a strong defensive effort.

6. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-13 at Green Bay Packers
Up Next: vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Are the Lions lost without Ben Johnson calling plays for Jared Goff? We’ll wait for this week, against Johnson and the Bears, to decide.

5. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Last Week: L, 41-40 at Buffalo Bills
Up Next: vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Fourth-quarter breakdowns led to 22 points for the Bills and a horrific loss in the opener. How do the Ravens respond?

4. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-21 vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Brazil)
Up Next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET
In last place in the AFC West for the first time in four years, maybe the last defense Patrick Mahomes wanted to see coming is at Arrowhead on Sunday.

3. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Last Week: W, 41-40 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Up Next: at New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Busted up by big plays, the Bills have serious concerns on defense. They also have Josh Allen. Allen had four TD passes and two rushing touchdowns in a pair of wins over the AFC East rival Jets last season.

2. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-13 vs. Detroit Lions
Up Next: vs. Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Micah Parsons is the ship raising all boats on a dynamic Green Bay defense. Jordan Love being overlooked among top quarterbacks in the league.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: W, 24-20 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Up Next: at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET
To paraphrase Jalen Hurts, the Eagles don’t care about style points, only wins. The secondary and pass rush left plenty to be desired in the opener and Hurts didn’t connect with his top receivers. But the Super Bowl champions still beat the Dallas Cowboys.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Top five stay same in CFP rankings; Boise State in position for bye

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Big Ten-heavy top five of the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings stayed the same in the newest iteration released Tuesday night, with Oregon remaining on top after being the first team to reach 11-0.

Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Indiana rounded out the top five for the second straight week, with the undefeated and fifth-ranked Hoosiers set for their biggest test of the season with a visit to No. 2 Ohio State coming this Saturday.

One-loss Notre Dame moved into the sixth spot and Alabama leads a host of 8-2 SEC teams in the next tier. The Crimson Tide rose to No. 7, and after Miami at No. 8 comes Ole Miss, Georgia and Tennessee at Nos. 9-11.

The latest shakeup came after Georgia defeated Tennessee 31-17 this past weekend. The Bulldogs checked in one spot behind Ole Miss – which beat them handily the previous week – and one spot in front of the Volunteers.

Though Tennessee is ranked No. 11, it would be the first team out of the 12-team playoff if the season ended today based on the requirement that the five best conference champions receive automatic bids into the field.

Boise State (9-1) moved up one spot to No. 12, and BYU tumbled to No. 14 after taking its first loss of the season, 17-13 at the hands of Kansas.

But because BYU remains the highest-ranked team from the Big 12, it would make the field as the No. 12 seed and the conference’s only representative. Boise State, as the fourth-highest ranked conference champ, would get the fourth seed and a first-round bye.

Four new teams entered the top 25: No. 21 Arizona State, No. 22 Iowa State, No. 24 UNLV and No. 25 Illinois. Kansas State, Washington State, Louisville and LSU dropped out this week following losses.

CFP projected first-round byes: No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Texas, No. 3 seed Miami, No. 4 seed Boise State

CFP projected quarterfinal games (campus sites):
No. 9 seed Alabama at No. 8 seed Notre Dame
No. 10 seed Ole Miss at No. 7 seed Indiana
No. 11 seed Georgia at No. 6 seed Penn State
No. 12 seed BYU at No. 5 seed Ohio State

CFP rankings (different from seeds)
1. Oregon (11-0)
2. Ohio State (9-1)
3. Texas (9-1)
4. Penn State (9-1)
5. Indiana (10-0)
6. Notre Dame (9-1)
7. Alabama (8-2)
8. Miami (9-1)
9. Ole Miss (8-2)
10. Georgia (8-2)
11. Tennessee (8-2)
12. Boise State (9-1)
13. SMU (9-1)
14. BYU (9-1)
15. Texas A&M (8-2)
16. Colorado (8-2)
17. Clemson (8-2)
18. South Carolina (7-3)
19. Army (9-0)
20. Tulane (9-2)
21. Arizona State (8-2)
22. Iowa State (8-2)
23. Missouri (7-3)
24. UNLV (8-2)
25. Illinois (7-3)

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) celebrates a touchdown during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend.

Notre Dame edges up to No. 6 in AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A lack of upsets at the top of college football resulted in little movement at the top of the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Sunday, as Oregon remained undefeated and keeps its hold on the No. 1 ranking after avoiding an upset at Wisconsin.

The Ducks (11-0) prevailed 16-13 in Madison, Wis., while No. 2 Ohio State (9-1), No. 3 Texas (9-1) and No. 4 Penn State (9-1) all won as well, preserving the top four. Indiana (10-0) remained No. 5 after a bye week.

Previous No. 6 Tennessee lost to Georgia, and previous No. 7 BYU was upset by Kansas, opening the door for Notre Dame (9-1) to move up to No. 6 with its 35-14 blowout of Virginia.

The Fighting Irish have barely been tested since their shocking upset loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, only once winning by less than 18 (31-24 vs. Louisville on Sept. 28). That could change soon with next weekend’s game against No. 18 Army (9-0).

Four SEC schools round out the Top 10 with identical 8-2 records: No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Tennessee.

BYU (9-1) fell seven spots to No. 14 after losing for the first time this season, landing one spot below a team it beat earlier this year, SMU (9-1), who survived an upset bid from Boston College.

Arizona State (8-2) rejoined the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2021 at No. 21 after its 24-14 road win at previous No. 20 Kansas State. Other newcomers included No. 22 Iowa State (8-2), No. 23 UNLV (8-2) and No. 24 Illinois (7-3).

Kansas State, LSU, Louisville and Missouri all fell from the rankings following losses.

The third in-season edition of the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings will be released Tuesday night.

The full AP Top 25 poll after Week 12:
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Indiana
6. Notre Dame
7. Alabama
8. Georgia
9. Ole Miss
10. Tennessee
11. Miami
12. Boise State
13. SMU
14. BYU
15. Texas A&M
16. Colorado
17. Clemson
18. Army
19. South Carolina
20. Tulane
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa State
23. UNLV
24. Illinois
25. Washington State

–Field Level Media

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates amid a crowd of fans on the field as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks knock off the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon still No. 1 as Big Ten crowds top five of CFP rankings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Undefeated Oregon stayed No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, but the Ducks’ view from the top changed dramatically, with more upheaval assured thanks to a schedule ripe with playoff-caliber games in November.

Four of the top five teams reside in the Big Ten, with Oregon joined by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana in the second rankings reveal of the season. Texas moved into the No. 3 spot.

Losses last week by Georgia, Miami (Fla.) and LSU assured a major shuffle from the initial 2024 playoff rankings revealed seven days earlier.

Texas (8-1, 4-1 SEC) and Tennessee (8-1, 5-1) climbed to third and seventh, respectively. BYU remained undefeated and slid up to No. 6, while Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) and Indiana (10-0, 7-0) are surprising flag-bearers for the Big Ten with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

After the Hoosiers handled Michigan last week, they reached the bye week with an extra seven days to prepare for a visit to the Horseshoe to take on Ohio State (9-1). Oregon defeated Ohio State 32-31 on Oct. 12.

A 12-team playoff debuts in December, opening the door to eight additional teams compared to the previous CFP bracket. Whereas even SEC teams with two losses would be all but eliminated from the original four-team playoff, No. 10 Alabama (7-2), No. 11 Ole Miss (8-2), No. 13 Georgia (7-2) and No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2) maintain a fighting chance to break into the 12-team bracket behind the current one-loss SEC teams.

In the midst of the program’s first 10-win season, Indiana first-year coach Frank Cignetti is attempting to author a season for the books. He said he realized quickly upon taking the job he was encountering a somber or defeated aura around the football program and vowed to shift it instantly.

History sides with the Buckeyes, who play Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Ohio State has won 29 consecutive games against Indiana with an average margin of victory of 37 points. The last win for the Hoosiers in the series was in 1988.

Ohio State delivered Penn State its only loss this season, 20-13 on Nov. 2. The Nittany Lions are clear of their biggest regular-season obstacles on the schedule with trips to Purdue, Minnesota and a home game against Maryland left to play.

A variable without a precise measure at the moment is how the CFP committee reconciles head-to-head carnage in power conferences. The answer should become more telling in future rankings.

Georgia handed Texas its only loss but lost to Alabama and Ole Miss. The Longhorns still have a matchup with A&M on Nov. 30.

Tennessee beat Alabama and visits Athens to challenge Georgia in one of the marquee matchups Saturday.

Notre Dame (8-1) rides a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s game against Virginia before a potential playoff elimination game Nov. 23 with No. 24 Army (9-0, 7-0 American Athletic Conference) at Yankee Stadium. The Black Knights are 9-0 for the first time since 1996. Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois 16-14 on Sept. 7.

Miami (Fla.) lost to Georgia Tech 28-23 last week and dropped to No. 9 in the rankings. The Hurricanes missed the chance to surge ahead in the rankings and are now square with No. 14 SMU (8-1), but the Mustangs are the only undefeated team (5-0) in conference play and lost to BYU head-to-head on Sept. 6.

An expanded playoff field could mean room for underdogs from outside the Power 4 conferences.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) remained at No. 12 in this week’s rankings and shares the lead in the Mountain West with Colorado State. Powered by Heisman Trophy candidate running back Ashton Jeanty — the FBS leader in rushing yards (1,525), rushing touchdowns (20), total touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards (1,606) — the Broncos were last ranked in the CFP poll in 2019.

CFP projected first-round byes: No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Texas, No. 3 seed BYU, No. 4 seed Miami

CFP projected quarterfinal games (campus sites):
No. 9 seed Notre Dame at No. 8 seed Tennessee
No. 10 seed Alabama at No. 7 seed Indiana
No. 11 seed Ole Miss at No. 6 seed Penn State
No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 seed Ohio State

CFP rankings (different from seeds)
1. Oregon (10-0)
2. Ohio State (8-1)
3. Texas (8-1)
4. Penn State (8-1)
5. Indiana (10-0)
6. BYU (9-0)
7. Tennessee (8-1)
8. Notre Dame (8-1)
9. Miami (9-1)
10. Alabama (7-2)
11. Ole Miss (8-2)
12. Boise State (8-1)
13. Georgia (7-2)
14. SMU (8-1)
15. Texas A&M (7-2)
16. Kansas State (7-2)
17. Colorado (7-2)
18. Washington State (8-1)
19. Louisville (6-3)
20. Clemson (7-2)
21. South Carolina (6-3)
22. LSU (6-3)
23. Missouri (7-2)
24. Army (9-0)
25. Tulane (8-2)

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) passes the ball in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana moves to No. 5 in AP Top 25; Oregon still on top

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oregon was ranked No. 1 in the country by the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the fourth week in a row, while Big Ten counterpart Indiana stole the show by climbing to No. 5.

The last time Indiana football reached the top five of the poll was in 1967. Both the Ducks and the Hoosiers are 10-0 after Oregon cruised 39-18 past Maryland and Indiana defeated defending national champion Michigan 20-15.

Ohio State, Texas and Penn State, each 8-1, occupy the second through fourth spots of the poll. Tennessee (8-1), BYU (9-0), Notre Dame (8-1), Alabama (7-2) and Ole Miss (8-2) round out the top 10.

Indiana rose three places thanks to Georgia and Miami falling out of the top 10. The Bulldogs (7-2) dropped from second to 11th in the poll after Ole Miss beat them 28-10 in Oxford, Miss. Miami (9-1) slipped from fourth to 12th due to its first loss of the season, 28-23 at Georgia Tech.

By beating its SEC rival, Ole Miss moved up six spots, the largest rise in the poll this week.

There were three newcomers to the poll: South Carolina, Missouri and Tulane in Nos. 23-25, respectively. South Carolina knocked out then-No. 24 Vanderbilt 28-7 on the road at Nashville, Tenn.

The other teams to drop out of the rankings were then-No. 17 Iowa State, which lost at Kansas, and then-No. 18 Pitt, which lost at home to Virginia.

The second in-season edition of the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings will be released Tuesday night.

The full AP Top 25 poll after Week 11:
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Indiana
6. Tennessee
7. BYU
8. Notre Dame
9. Alabama
10. Ole Miss
11. Georgia
12. Miami
13. Boise State
14. SMU
15. Texas A&M
16. Army
17. Clemson
18. Colorado
19. Washington State
20. Kansas State
21. LSU
22. Louisville
23. South Carolina
24. Missouri
25. Tulane

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck in the middle of the crowd storming the field after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Top 25 poll: Oregon strengthens hold on No. 1 ranking

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oregon held on to its No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, and this time it was a unanimous choice for the top spot.

This is the third consecutive week at No. 1 for Oregon (9-0), which posted a 38-17 win at Michigan, and the last poll before the College Football Playoff selection committee issues its first rankings this week.

Georgia (7-1), which defeated rival Florida on Saturday, stayed at No. 2, followed by Ohio State (7-1). The Buckeyes rose a spot after handing then-No. 3 Penn State its first loss, 20-13 in Happy Valley.

Miami (9-0) and idle Texas (7-1) also moved up one place and completed the top five, with the Nittany Lions (7-1) slotting in at No. 6, down three spots.

Rounding out the top 10 were Tennessee (7-1), Indiana (9-0), BYU (8-0) and Notre Dame (7-1).

The Hoosiers moved into the top 10, rising five places from No. 13.

The biggest gain in the rankings went to SMU (8-1), which climbed seven places to No. 13 after routing previously undefeated Pitt (7-1).

Taking the biggest plunges of the week were No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, down five), No. 17 Iowa State (7-1, down six), No. 19 Clemson (6-2, down eight), No. 22 Kansas State (7-2, down five) and No. 23 Pitt (7-1, down five).

Entering the Top 25 were No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Louisville, both 6-3. Vanderbilt defeated Auburn 17-7 to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018 and Louisville toppled Clemson 33-21 on the road.

Dropping out of the poll were Illinois (6-3) and idle Missouri (6-2).

The full AP Top 25 poll after Week 10:
1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Miami
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Tennessee
8. Indiana
9. BYU
10. Notre Dame
11. Alabama
12. Boise State
13. SMU
14. LSU
15. Texas A&M
16. Ole Miss
17. Iowa State
18. Army
19. Clemson
20. Washington State
21. Colorado
22. Kansas State
23. Pitt
24. Vanderbilt
25. Louisville

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft based on a consensus of rankings from Field Level Media analysts. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

2024 NFL Draft: Top 100

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Top 100 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft generated via consensus of Field Level Media draft analysts.

Rank Pos Name School
1. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
2. WR Malik Nabers, LSU
3. QB Caleb Williams, USC
4. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
5. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
6. OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
7. WR Rome Odunze, Washington
8. DE Jared Verse, Florida State
9. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
10. OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

11. OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama
12. CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
13. CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
14. DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
15. OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
16. WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
17. CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
18. DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
19. DT Darius Robinson, Missouri
20. DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan

21. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
22. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
23. OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
24. OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
25. OLB Chop Robinson, Penn State
26. C Graham Barton, Duke
27. OT JC Latham, Alabama
28. OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
29. QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
30. ILB Cedric Gray, North Carolina

31. OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
32. DT Byron Murphy II, Texas
33. WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
34. OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
35. ILB Payton Wilson, NC State
36. OG Christian Haynes, Connecticut
37. CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
38. DE Adisa Isaac, Penn State
39. WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
40. WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina

41. DE Austin Booker, Kansas
42. S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
43. OLB Junior Colson, Michigan
44. QB Bo Nix, Oregon
45. DT Maason Smith, LSU
46. DT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
47. C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
48. S Kamren Kinchens, Miami
49. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
50. WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington

51. ILB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
52. WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
53. OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
54. CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
55. CB Kalen King, Penn State
56. RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
57. ILB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
58. RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas
59. RB Will Shipley, Clemson
60. C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

61. DE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
62. S Calen Bullock, USC
63. OLB Chris Braswell, Alabama
64. RB Trey Benson, Florida State
65. S Javon Bullard, Georgia
66. DE Braiden McGregor, Michigan
67. C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
68. CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
69. WR Roman Wilson, Michigan
70. WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

71. OG Isaiah Adams, Illinois
72. DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
73. DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
74. RB Blake Corum, Michigan
75. CB Khyree Jackson, Oregon
76. S Jaden Hicks, Washington State
77. S Cole Bishop, Utah
78. WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina
79. WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
80. DE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon

81. OLB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
82. OG Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
83. TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
84. RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
85. DE Bralen Trice, Washington
86. TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
87. OT Delmar Glaze, Maryland
88. CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
89. TE Cade Stover, Ohio State
90. CB Josh Newton, TCU

91. OG Brandon Coleman, TCU
92. S Beau Brade, Maryland
93. S James Williams, Miami
94. DT Braden Fiske, Florida State
95. RB Jase McClellan, Alabama
96. TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State
97. RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC
98. TE Jared Wiley, TCU
99. ILB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
100. ILB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State