Tag: rankings

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

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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

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24.

Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Florida State lead CFP rankings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia remained No. 1 and Michigan, Washington and Florida State moved up to the second through fourth spots in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s penultimate rankings on Tuesday night.

Michigan, last week’s No. 3 team, defeated then-No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 in their annual rivalry game last Saturday. The Buckeyes dropped four spots to No. 6, now beneath No. 5 Oregon.

After conference championship games conclude this Saturday, the committee will gather on Sunday to determine the four playoff teams and their semifinal matchups.

One crucial game is Friday’s Pac-12 championship game, a rematch between Washington and Oregon. The Huskies won 36-33 at home in the teams’ regular-season meeting, the only loss on the Ducks’ record. Heisman Trophy favorite Bo Nix and the Ducks will try to avenge that loss on a neutral field in Las Vegas.

Texas and Alabama remained at Nos. 7 and 8 and have an outside chance of breaking into the field of four this weekend. Texas faces No. 18 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, and Alabama takes on Georgia for the SEC title once again.

The full rankings are as follows:

1. Georgia (12-0)
2. Michigan (12-0)
3. Washington (12-0)
4. Florida State (12-0)
5. Oregon (11-1)
6. Ohio State (11-1)
7. Texas (11-1)
8. Alabama (11-1)
9. Missouri (10-2)
10. Penn State (10-2)
11. Ole Miss (10-2)
12. Oklahoma (10-2)
13. LSU (9-3)
14. Louisville (10-2)
15. Arizona (9-3)
16. Iowa (10-2)
17. Notre Dame (9-3)
18. Oklahoma State (9-3)
19. NC State (9-3)
20. Oregon State (8-4)
21. Tennessee (8-4)
22. Tulane (11-1)
23. Clemson (8-4)
24. Liberty (12-0)
25. Kansas State (8-4)

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards (30) runs against Mississippi Rebels cornerback Deantre Prince (7) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia leapfrogs Ohio State for CFP’s No. 1 ranking

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Two-time defending national champion Georgia is back in the role of favorite after becoming the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The Bulldogs (10-0) jumped ahead of Ohio State (10-0) in the latest rankings unveiled Tuesday night from Grapevine, Texas.

No. 3 Michigan (10-0) and No. 4 Florida State (10-0) remained in their previous spots.

The Buckeyes were the No. 1 team in both of the first two Tuesday rankings. However, the 13-person committee decided this time around that Georgia is the nation’s top team.

CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, cited Georgia’s strong showings the past two weeks as big factors. The Bulldogs beat Missouri 30-21 two Saturdays and Ole Miss 52-17 last weekend.

“You look at the win last week over Missouri and the Mississippi game was tied 14-all and they go out on a 38-3 run and showed their dominance both on offense and defense,” Corrigan said. “Looking at the resume and everything combined, we thought Georgia was the best team this week.”

Washington (10-0) remains on the outside at No. 5 despite owning the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 17 games. Only Georgia (27) has reeled off more consecutive victories.

“Washington continues to win and had a really good defensive second half against Utah.” Corrigan said, referencing the Huskies’ 35-28 win. “But as we looked at it and evaluated … we ended up with Florida State at 4 and Washington at 5.”

Oregon (9-1) again checked in at No. 6 as its October loss to Washington remains the team’s lone blemish. The Ducks and Huskies could meet again in next month’s Pac-12 title game.

Texas (9-1) was again No. 7, just ahead of Alabama (9-1). The Longhorns defeated the Crimson Tide in September. Both teams need some of the teams ahead of them to lose contests.

Alabama will face Georgia in next month’s Southeastern Conference Championship Game, and a victory over the Bulldogs would greatly enhance the Crimson Tide’s resume.

Missouri (8-2) and Louisville (9-1) round out the top 10.

No. 11 Oregon State (8-2) is a real long shot but could create havoc if it upsets visiting Washington this Saturday.

Also this week, Georgia visits No. 18 Tennessee and Ohio State hosts Minnesota.

Michigan, without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh, will visit Maryland. Florida State hosts North Alabama of the FCS ranks.

Oregon visits Arizona State, Texas travels to Iowa State and Alabama will host FCS foe Chattanooga.

Tulane (9-1) of the American Athletic Conference is the only ranked team from a non-power league.

Penn State (8-2) is No. 12, followed by Ole Miss (8-2), Oklahoma (8-2) and LSU (7-3).

Iowa (8-2) sits at No. 16, followed by Arizona (7-3). Notre Dame (7-3) is No. 19, just ahead of North Carolina (8-2).

At No. 21 is Kansas State (7-3), ahead of Utah (7-3) and Oklahoma State (7-3). Kansas (7-3) is No. 25.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) congratulates wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) after he scored a touchdown during the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Ohio State won 35-16.

Top 8 of CFP rankings unaltered ahead of massive weekend matchups

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and Florida State remained in playoff positions in Tuesday night’s second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings as the top eight teams were unchanged from a week ago.

The Buckeyes, Bulldogs, Wolverines, Seminoles and No. 5 Washington all improved to 9-0 this week with wins of at least nine points. The next three hopefuls — Oregon, Texas and Alabama — also won to improve to 8-1 and remain at Nos. 6, 7 and 8, respectively.

It was a surprise to many last week that Ohio State was given the initial No. 1 spot over a streaking Georgia team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25. The Bulldogs won their 26th straight game this week, 30-21 over then-No. 12 Missouri, and the Buckeyes trailed Rutgers 9-7 at halftime before pulling away to win 35-16.

CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at NC State, said in an ESPN interview that teams’ resumes are one of many factors they must consider at this time of year.

“We’re looking to add onto what is their resume, how do they look, who’s been out, who’s coming back?” Corrigan said. “To make sure, with strength of schedule, with the statistics, with watching the games, including everyone in the room just to make sure we’re getting all the varying opinions.”

Ole Miss and Penn State each rose one spot to Nos. 9 and 10 ahead of their massive top-10 games this Saturday. The Rebels, who beat Texas A&M 38-35 last weekend, will pay a visit to defending national champion Georgia, while the Nittany Lions will host Michigan after thrashing Maryland 51-15 on the road.

Louisville, Oregon State, Tennessee and Missouri checked in at Nos. 11-14.

Oklahoma dropped eight spots to No. 17 while Oklahoma State leaped seven spots to No. 15 following the Cowboys’ 27-24 win in the Bedlam rivalry game. The Sooners and Cowboys sandwiched another Big 12 team, Kansas, at No. 16.

Utah, LSU and Notre Dame completed the top 20, with LSU and Notre Dame dropping following their third losses of the season.

Arizona debuted in the rankings at No. 21 after its third straight win against a previously ranked Pac-12 foe. The Wildcats’ 27-10 win over then-No. 19 UCLA knocked the Bruins out of the top 25.

Iowa reentered at No. 22, followed by Tulane, North Carolina and Kansas State.

Corrigan again was asked for the committee’s stance on the latest surrounding the sign-stealing scandal at Michigan. After Corrigan said the investigation was an NCAA issue — not a CFP issue — last Tuesday, controversial football analyst Connor Stalions has since stepped down at Michigan and the Big Ten has served the school notice of potential discipline.

“Not to be repetitive … our mission as a committee is to judge the teams that are eligible for the postseason,” Corrigan said. “And until something changes in that, we’re gonna continue to follow that track and make sure that we’re following the protocols.”

1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Michigan
4. Florida State
5. Washington
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Ole Miss
10. Penn State
11. Louisville
12. Oregon State
13. Tennessee
14. Missouri
15. Oklahoma State
16. Kansas
17. Oklahoma
18. Utah
19. LSU
20. Notre Dame
21. Arizona
22. Iowa
23. Tulane
24. North Carolina
25. Kansas State

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) catches a 4-yard touchdown in front of Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Robert Longerbeam (7) during the second half of the NCAA football game at SHI Stadium. Ohio State won 35-16.

No. 1 Georgia, top teams hold places in AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Associated Press Top 25 voters and the College Football Playoff committee disagree when it comes to the order of the top three teams in the nation.

In the most recent AP Top 25 poll, released Sunday, Georgia held on to the No. 1 spot, followed by Michigan and Ohio State. That’s the same result as last Sunday’s poll but a variance of the first CFP standings when they were announced Tuesday, which had Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Georgia and Michigan.

All three teams won Saturday to move to 9-0. They are followed by another pair of 9-0 teams — No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Washington.

The top nine were unchanged from last week. No. 6 Oregon is followed by Texas, Alabama and Penn State in a collection of 8-1 teams. No. 10 Ole Miss moved up one spot when previous No. 10 Oklahoma fell to 17 following its rivalry loss to Oklahoma State.

Notre Dame (7-3) fell 10 places to No. 22 following its loss to unranked Clemson. Southern California dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in the Lincoln Riley era as the Trojans now have lost three of their last four games — surrendering an average of 45.8 points per game.

In contrast to the Irish and Trojans was Oklahoma State (7-2), which had yet to be ranked this season but entered the poll at No. 15.

Three other teams moved into the rankings this week — No. 23 Arizona, No. 24 North Carolina and No. 25 Liberty. Arizona has bested three straight ranked opponents following its win Saturday over UCLA. Liberty is 9-0.

The Bruins fell out of the poll, as did previously unbeaten Air Force and Kansas State, which lost in overtime to Texas.

–Field Level Media