The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the season will be released tonight at 7 PM ET on ESPN. Below is how we view the rankings heading into November.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) | Last week: 1
The first game without superstar tight end Brock Bowers (ankle) provided some confidence about Georgia remaining in the top spot, as they destroyed Florida (43-20) with all three of Carson Beck, Daijun Edwards, and Ladd McConkey playing great. Beck in particular is gaining confidence for the Dawgs.
2. Michigan Wolverines (8-0) | Last week: 2
There is a case to made for Michigan being atop the rankings, but it’s also possible coming off a bye week hurts them if the committee has Georgia’s most recent win on their minds. After hosting Purdue this week, the Wolverines will take on Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State to close out the regular season.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) | Last week: 4 (+1)
Marvin Harrison Jr. remained red hot with six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns last week—and he’s up to a career-high 18.5 yards per reception catching passes from Kyle McCord. Saturday’s noon matchup against Rutgers will be the final road test ahead of the November 25 game against Michigan that everyone has circled.
4. Florida State Seminoles (8-0) | Last week: 5 (+1)
Jordan Travis and Trey Benson led the Seminoles in their blowout win over Wake Forest, and they’ve outscored opponents 159-56 in four games since barely escaping with an overtime win over Clemson. After North Carolina was upset for the second week in a row, Florida State and Louisville might be the only hopes for ACC to make the playoffs.
5. Oregon Ducks (7-1) | Last week: 7 (+1)
The placement of Oregon and Washington as the top two teams in the Pac-12 will be very interesting to watch tonight, but the case for the Ducks is that they essentially lost to the Huskies—on the road—with a missed field goal and some high-risk coaching decisions. Fortunately, we might get a rematch in the conference championship if both teams take care of business over the next four weeks.
6. Washington Huskies (8-0) | Last week: 6
For Washington, they have stumbled some over the past couple of weeks, and the road to Las Vegas is a bit more treacherous with games versus USC, Utah, Oregon State, and Washington State. That said, Michael Penix Jr. was back to lighting it up with 369 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception last week in a win over Stanford, and Washington can lay claim to a signature win against Oregon.
7. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) | Last week: 3 (-4)
Oklahoma had three games in October, and all three were thrillers with a 34-30 victory over Texas, a 31-29 win against UCF, and a stunning 38-33 loss to Kansas. Dillon Gabriel and the Sooners will look to bounce back against an Oklahoma State squad that they went up 28-0 on in the first quarter of last year’s matchup (which was an eventual 28-13 win).
8. Texas Longhorns (7-1) | Last week: 8
Maalik Murphy was the only quarterback to see action last week with Quinn Ewers (shoulder) out, but Texas was able to rely on their defense to beat BYU, 35-6. We’ll see if true freshman Arch Manning gets some run soon after head coach Steve Sarkisian said it “wasn’t the right time” for him to play in the decisive win over the Cougars.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) | Last week: 9
A bye week for Alabama allowed them to prepare for a Saturday night matchup with LSU, and you can be sure that everyone will be constantly reminded of the 32-31 overtime loss in Death Valley almost exactly a year ago. Based on how well Jalen Milroe has played recently, the Crimson Tide have to like their chances at home.
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) | Last week: 10
Penn State was given a fight by Indiana last week (tied 24-24 with under three minutes remaining), but a late touchdown and safety allowed them to escape with a victory. Finding a way for Nicholas Singleton to get back to his 2022 form would be huge for a tricky road matchup against Maryland followed by Michigan’s visit in a couple of weeks.