The fifth and penultimate edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings was released Tuesday night with a bit of a shakeup coming to the top four. By virtue of a head-to-head win last Saturday in “The Game,” it is Michigan that has taken over the No. 2 spot from Ohio State with Washington moving up to No. 3 and Florida State returning to the top four.
As such, with Georgia maintaining its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot, the four remaining undefeated Power Five programs are currently slated to play in the CFP should they win their respective conference championship games this weekend.
The Buckeyes did not fall far as they now sit at No. 6; however, Ohio State does not have an opportunity to play itself into the playoff field, while the teams surrounding it — No. 5 Oregon, No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama — all compete in league title games this weekend. No program outside of those top eight has a chance at the playoff.
Unlike 2021, when Cincinnati opened at No. 6 in the CFP Rankings and eventually became the first Group of Five team to reach the playoff, the highest-ranked Group of Five program Tuesday is Tulane at No. 22 with Liberty the only other such team ranked at No. 24. That will not create a scenario in which the Green Wave or Flames can advance to the playoff, but in an expanded 12-team field set to be introduced in 2024, Tulane would be in pole position to earn a bid as the highest-ranked potential Group of Five champion.
Let’s take a look at the entire CFP Rankings top 25. Check out analysis by bowls expert Jerry Palm below.
College Football Playoff Rankings, Nov. 28
- Georgia (12-0)
- Michigan (12-0)
- Washington (12-0)
- Florida State (12-0)
- Oregon (11-1)
- Ohio State (11-1)
- Texas (11-1)
- Alabama (11-1)
- Missouri (10-2)
- Penn State (10-2)
- Ole Miss (10-2)
- Oklahoma (10-2)
- LSU (9-3)
- Louisville (10-2)
- Arizona (9-3)
- Iowa (10-2)
- Notre Dame (9-3)
- Oklahoma State (9-3)
- NC State (9-3)
- Oregon State (8-4)
- Tennessee (8-4)
- Tulane (11-1)
- Clemson (8-4)
- Liberty (12-0)
- Kansas State (8-4)
Analysis by bowl expert Jerry Palm
The most uneventful season in the CFP era — at least at the top of college football — has finally had a change among the top eight. It happened because two of last week’s top eight played each other. Michigan knocked off Ohio State, and the CFP Selection Committee dropped the Buckeyes to No. 6.
We have two more matchups of top eight teams in conference championship games this weekend, so something…
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