College Football Playoff Ranking Projections: Top 25 for Week 10

For most of the Thursday-night showdown in Corvallis, Stanford was on upset alert against Oregon State. The Beavers were playing hungry in prime time under interim head coach Cory Hall, and held a 14-9 lead late in the game. A late touchdown pass by Keller Chryst ultimately separated the two teams by a single point, though Stanford still needed a game-sealing interception to prevail 15-14.

In large part Stanford struggled for most of the night after sitting Heisman hopeful Bryce Love with an ankle injury. The flat performance by the Cardinal might have bolstered Love’s Heisman campaign, but it will also hurt David Shaw‘s team in terms of where it lands in the first College Football Playoff rankings this season.

Stanford held serve atop the Pac-12 North standings after its narrow win. How the CFP selection committee chooses to view the flat performance is another question. The Cardinal will likely be in the high teens, right about where they will also be in the AP Top 25, when the first CFP rankings are released this week.