Georgia, BYU Headline This Week’s College Football Playoff Rankings Winners and Losers
The excitement around the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings is palpable, and plenty of teams have found themselves either pleasantly surprised or bitterly disappointed. While the upcoming playoff picture is shaping up to be an exciting race toward the finish line, as fans, there’s nothing more thrilling than to watch the chaos that each week’s results bring. Week by week, contenders rise, pretenders fall, and the tension builds for any team hoping to punch its ticket to the playoff.
This week, there was again a major shake-up in the standings. Let’s break down who made a powerful statement and who had their postseason dreams take a hit in the latest CFP rankings.
Winners from this week’s CFP Rankings
Georgia — undisputed No. 1
Let’s kick things off by talking about the obvious: Georgia is now the undisputed No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. That’s right, Georgia fans, your Bulldogs claim the top spot once more, solidifying their claim as the best team in the nation.
Georgia took care of business last week, defeating Mississippi (52-17) in a dominating fashion, which is exactly what you need to do if you’re a top-tier team at this stage. They are still undefeated at 11-0, and this win all but confirmed Georgia deserved the crown position.
Georgia’s upcoming challenge, though, is nothing to sleep on—they’re set to face Alabama for the SEC championship game, where a win would surely lock them into that final four grouping for the playoff. Right now, they have momentum, they have swagger, and they’re dangerous.
BYU — Jumps up in the rankings
Let’s talk about a huge riser: BYU. The Cougars made some noise this week as they find themselves in prime position heading into the season’s final stretch. With their 8-2 record, BYU has climbed into the Top 25, and honestly, they have no plans of going out quietly.
Although there’s no direct path to the playoff for BYU, they’ve been an absolute powerhouse this season and continue to defy expectations. In a year filled with notable upsets, maybe just maybe, BYU will leave some room for more surprises, at least in the upcoming New Year’s Six bowl games.
Washington — Welcome to No. 4
Another massive winner from this week’s CFP rankings is Washington. The Huskies (11-0) found themselves nestled cozy and warm in the No. 4 position after yet another thrilling victory, this time over Oregon State, setting them up for a legitimate chance at a playoff appearance.
Why is this especially significant? Well, Washington’s strength-of-schedule really helped push them to the edge. Their narrow win against Oregon State is just what they needed to stay in the conversation for a top seed. Of course, their next challenge, No. 5 Oregon, will likely define whether or not they deserve to be among the final-four teams heading into the playoff.
Alabama — Just on the edge
Alabama (10-1) isn’t out of the running just yet. In fact, the fact that they sit at No. 8 with only one loss shows just how much respect the CFP committee has for Nick Saban and his squad.
Coming off their latest 49-21 win against non-powerhouse teams like Chattanooga, Alabama still remains alive in the race to secure a playoff spot. The road, however, will be tough. They’ll need to win the SEC Championship game against a red-hot Georgia team, but as we’ve seen before, anything’s possible when Alabama mixes it up with the Bulldogs.
Losers from this week’s CFP Rankings
Florida State — Drop from top 4
Ouch. Florida State’s fans were probably shocked to find themselves out of the top four spots. After their 27-20 win against Miami, some were hoping it would keep them firmly in the CFP picture, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Washington, who replaced them.
While the Seminoles (11-0) are still in a strong position at No. 5, they now need some extra help to get back within striking distance of a potential playoff chance. They might need losses from one of the top four teams—just about the only thing not in their control. Their next focus is the ACC Championship, hopefully putting them back in contention.
Louisville — Surprising struggles
It wasn’t a great week for Louisville fans. The Cardinals (10-1) dropped down a bit in the rankings, falling from No. 9 despite a successful season so far. Their narrow victory over Louisville’s Kentucky hurt them in the eyes of the committee, and though they still have a shot at playing for an ACC title, their Playoff hopes have sharply diminished.
Louisville is still a must-watch team, but their struggles in recent matchups have left them falling behind. They’ll need to win from here on out and depend on other key losses if they want any outside chance of reversing their fortunes.
Missouri — Not enough juice to crack top 10
Missouri fans probably didn’t expect this, but their Tigers (9-2) have been one of the surprise stars in the SEC this season. Still, despite an impressive campaign and evidence of a very strong program, Missouri hasn’t yet been able to break into the elite top-10 tiers of the rankings.
The Tigers’ blowout win against Florida (33-10) stabilized their position, but they find themselves stagnated at No. 11. While they’re out of the running for the Playoff’s top four, their victories are worth celebrating—and looked forward to for a potential exciting bowl game appearance down the line.
Biggest What-if Storyline: Ohio State-Michigan
Let’s face it: there’s an inevitable marquee matchup coming everyone’s waiting for. Ohio State vs. Michigan. These two giants are set to collide in The Big Game, and it will have huge ramifications for the future of the Playoff positions.
- Ohio State (11-0) is currently ranked No. 2, holding strong after their routine win over Minnesota.
- Meanwhile Michigan is breathing down their neck, at No. 3 (11-0).
The big question here lies directly in how this game turns out—one will climb, and one will fall. Both teams planning to duke it out in what feels like a semifinal game all by itself. Depending on which team can control the line of scrimmage – and who commits fewer turnovers – the entire college football landscape might get turned on its head. Everyone is holding a collective breath for this game, and it’s bound to be a classic!
The Playoff Picture: Final Week Chaos Ahead
We’re in for one heck of a ride in the final stages of the season. The latest wave of rankings brought much conversation and debate, particularly regarding who’s in, who’s on the edge, and who has to watch nervously from the outside. But the biggest point taken away from this week? Anything and everything can still happen.
With the SEC title game between Georgia and Alabama looming large, the pending final blow between Ohio State and Michigan, and potential upsets lurking in Championship Week, the Playoff seeding is far from set. Teams like Washington and Florida State teeter on the edge of historic seasons, while unexpected contenders like BYU hope to shake things up further.
Buckle up—the march towards the College Football Playoff just got a whole lot more interesting.
Originally Written by: Scooby Axson
