All eyes will be on Ohio State when the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings are revealed on Tuesday night.
The Buckeyes, who came in at No. 2 last week, fell 30-24 in a top three matchup with Michigan over the weekend. And the fallout from "the Game" will be felt in these latest rankings. Eight teams, theoretically, are still vying for four college football playoff spots heading into the conference championship game weekend. Four of them remain undefeated, while four are 11-1. And how far Ohio State falls will indicate how things stand going into the title games.
Here's how the selection committee's top eight may look.
College Football Playoff Ranking Prediction
- Georgia (12-0, No. 1 last week): The two-time defending national champions will enter the SEC Championship Game against Alabama as the nation's No. 1 team. If they win, the Bulldogs will keep that title heading into the playoff. But a loss to the Crimson Tide would mean Kirby Smart's team needs things to fall the right way to remain in the final four-team field.
- Michigan (12-0, No. 3 last week): Winning "the Game" against Ohio State will bump Michigan up to No. 2 ahead of a Big Ten title game matchup with Iowa. Winning in Jim Harbaugh's return to the sideline will clinch a third consecutive College Football Playoff berth for the Wolverines.
- Washington (12-0, No. 4 last week): Washington completed the first (and last) 12-0 regular season in Pac-12 football history with a win over Washington State in the Apple Cup. The road to a perfect regular season wasn't always pretty—the Huskies haven't won a game by more than 10 points since September. But a win over Oregon in the conference title game will keep their championship hopes alive.
- Florida State (12-0. No. 5 last week): The committee may be tempted to move Oregon ahead of Florida State, but the undefeated Seminoles should prevail. At least for now. FSU, coming off its first game without star QB Jordan Travis, needs a win in the ACC title game against Louisville to all but lock in a College Football Playoff spot.
- Oregon (11-1, No. 6 last week): There may be some debate about whether Oregon should remain the top-ranked one-loss team after Ohio State's blemish. And the answer will be revealed on Tuesday night. Looking ahead, Friday night's Pac-12 title game should be pretty simple from a College Football Playoff standpoint. If Washington wins, it will be an undefeated conference champion and clinch a spot in the top four. If Oregon wins, it avenges its only loss of the season for the Pac-12 title and likely jumps the Huskies for a top four slot.
- Ohio State (11-1, No. 2 last week): The Buckeyes are the only team still alive in the College Football Playoff race that won't be playing this weekend. Ohio State's loss to Michigan clinched the Big Ten East for the Wolverines. So Ryan Day's team will sit and wait at home on Saturday, hoping things fall the right way because Ohio State definitely needs help to get in. The best path for OSU: Georgia, Michigan and Washington winning and Florida State and Texas losing. That would clear a no-longer unbeaten FSU and the other currently one-loss teams out of the way. And this isn't new territory for Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished the regular season 11-1 last year after a loss to Michigan but still backed their way into the top four.
- Texas (11-1, No. 7 last week): It is worth watching if the committee deems Texas' résumé to be stronger than Ohio State's at this point. But it might not matter by the weekend. The Longhorns have a chance to win the Big 12 crown on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Still, Texas getting into the playoff field might take some help.
- Alabama (11-1, No. 8 last week): A miraculous fourth-down touchdown to beat Auburn in the "Iron Bowl" kept Alabama's championship dreams a possibility. Now, a clash with Georgia is the next obstacle in the way of reaching the College Football Playoff. Beating the Bulldogs would likely send the Crimson Tide into the top four, even if Alabama enters the weekend this far down in the rankings. Worth a reminder: The selection committee considers a variety of factors in the ranking process. That includes strength of schedule, conference championships, opponents played and, yes, head-to-head results. So a September loss to Texas still looms for Alabama and will affect the final top four if both teams win this weekend.
College Football Playoff Rankings: How to Watch
The second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be unveiled at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN. These rankings will carry into conference championship weekend. Oregon and Washington will face off for the Pac-12 title on Friday, while the four other Power Five conference title games will be played on Saturday.
Selection day for the committee is Sunday. At noon ET, the final rankings will be released, and the top four teams will advance to the College Football Playoff.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robert Read is a Sports Reporter at Newsweek based in Florida. He previously spent four years working at The Daily ... Read more
