Georgia vaulted to No. 1 in the new College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Tuesday, as the defending national champions moved up two spots after beating then-No. 1 Tennessee 27-13.
After Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU rounded out the top four. Before we analyze the new CFP top 25, here's the list of the new rankings:
College Football Playoff rankings: Top 25 for Week 11
|
RANK |
SCHOOL |
RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 9-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 9-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 9-0 |
| 4 | TCU | 9-0 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 8-1 |
| 6 | Oregon | 8-1 |
| 7 | LSU | 7-2 |
| 8 | USC | 8-1 |
| 9 | Alabama | 7-2 |
| 10 | Clemson | 8-1 |
| 11 | Ole Miss | 8-1 |
| 12 | UCLA | 8-1 |
| 13 | Utah | 7-2 |
| 14 | Penn State | 7-2 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 8-1 |
| 16 | NC State | 7-2 |
| 17 | Tulane | 8-1 |
| 18 | Texas | 6-3 |
| 19 | Kansas State | 6-3 |
| 20 | Notre Dame | 6-3 |
| 21 | Illinois | 7-2 |
| 22 | UCF | 7-2 |
| 23 | Florida State | 6-3 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 6-3 |
| 25 | Washington | 7-2 |
The perfect four
A wild Week 10 saw Tennessee and Clemson fall off the undefeated list, leaving only Georgia (SEC), Ohio State (Big Ten), Michigan (Big Ten) and TCU (Big 12) as unbeaten. Of course, Michigan and Ohio State are set to meet later this month.
But for now these last four perfect teams — all 9-0 — take up the semifinal spots. Tennessee, which was No. 1 a week ago, is just outside at No. 5.
PERFECT: Here are the remaining undefeated FBS teams
Here's what the semifinals would look like
If things hold. here's how the CFP semifinals would look:
- No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 TCU
- No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan
A lot can change from now until December and the final top 25 — for one, Ohio State and Michigan are set to meet on the field the last week in November. Then there are conference championship games.
Watching the top teams with a loss — or two
Last week, Alabama was the top team with one defeat, coming in at No. 6. LSU was the top two-loss team, ranking No. 10. In a quirk, those two just happened to meet in Week 10, with LSU topping Alabama in a thriller on a two-point conversion in overtime, 32-31.
That, along with losses by then-No. 1 Tennessee and then-No. 4 Clemson, led to some notable shifts in the top 25. Tennessee is the highest-ranked team with a loss at No. 5.
LSU remains the highest-ranked team with two setbacks, though the Tigers are now seventh. No two-loss team has made the College Football Playoff, but if LSU wins out — a scenario that would likely include beating Georgia in the SEC Championship Game — the Tigers would have a strong case to make the field.
Also in the top 10, Alabama fell to No. 9 this week, with Clemson 10th. That marks the first time the Tide and Tigers are both outside the top six in the CFP top 25 rankings. Ever.
For those looking at "3" in the loss column, Texas surged six spots to No. 18 after beating Kansas State. The Longhorns have another big opportunity on Saturday to move up, as they play unbeaten TCU.
WHAT'S NEXT: Here's the Week 11 TV schedule
Welcome to the ranks
With Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Oregon State all losing and dropping out, that left room for four spots in Tuesday's new top 25. Those open doors saw No. 20 Notre Dame, No. 23 Florida State, No. 24 Kentucky and No. 25 Washington. The Irish, once 0-2 with a home loss to Marshall, have won six of seven to climb back. In Week 10, Notre Dame crushed then-No. 4 Clemson 35-14.
Looking ahead
We had some big shakeups in this week's poll, but what could happen next Tuesday?
There are four ranked vs. ranked games:
- No. 4 TCU vs. No. 18 Texas
- No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 25 Washington
- No. 9 Alabama at No. 11 Ole Miss
- No. 17 Tulane vs. No. 22 UCF
