College Football Playoff: Projecting top four after Week 2

Week 2 of the college football season is now in the books and here’s a look at our projected top four teams for the College Football Playoff following the aftermath. 

As I kept saying on Saturday, college football never disappoints and it certainly didn’t during Week 2 as we got some massive shakeups coming to the rankings this week.

At least the top 25 rankings which we have already projected for Monday. There were tons of upsets including Notre Dame and Texas A&M (told ya so) — two top-10 teams — going down to Marshall and Appalachian State.

Kentucky also knocked off Florida, while Tennessee also beat a higher-ranked team in Pittsburgh. BYU did the same thing to Baylor, beating the ninth-ranked Bears in Provo and Texas Tech got a win over 25th-ranked Houston.

So six teams that were ranked lower than their opponent or not ranked at all won on Saturday. Texas was close too. That would have shaken up our projected top four for the College Football Playoff.

Yet, as it stands, things are mostly the same after Week 2 of the College Football season, so without any further do, we look at the top four college teams in the mix and other contenders in our post-week 2 projection of the 2022 College Football Playoff’s top four.

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs No. 4 Clemson

This is the same projection we has last week for the College Football Playoff and there was no reason to change it. Michigan and Oklahoma have each looked impressive and they are clearly the No. 5 and No. 6 teams right now.

But none of them, and that includes Clemson, have beaten a quality opponent. But based on how Notre Dame looked on Saturday, the Tigers might be able to run the table and if they do, they will get this No. 4 spot.

If Michigan runs the table, it will be No. 2 or No. 3. But it would need to beat Ohio State, and even with J.J. McCarthy as the full-time starter at quarterback, I need to see that before I believe it, at least in Columbus.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Alabama vs No. 3 Ohio State

Alabama looked beatable on Saturday. That’s a good sign for the rest of the SEC. Texas should have won the game and if Quinn Ewers doesn’t get hurt, the Longhorns probably do.

Even with Hudson Card, Texas was a short missed field goal away from upsetting the No. 1 ranked team in the country. I didn’t have Alabama as No. 1 in our College Football Playoff projections for Week 1 because the Georgia win over Oregon was more impressive.

I stand by that after Week 2 of the college football season. Georgia got a shutout win in Week 2 just like Alabama did last week, yet the Tide struggled, so it’s easy to peg the Bulldogs as No. 1.

Ohio State also cruised to a win over Arkansas State. C.J. Stroud threw four touchdown passes but the Buckeyes’ resume was tarnished a little on Saturday by the Notre Dame loss.

Depending on how bad things get for the Irish, that win won’t help Ohio State much when it comes to the selection committee. But as long as OSU wins the Big Ten, it won’t matter.

Other Top 10 contenders: Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, Kentucky, Arkansas, and BYU.

Michigan might be able to make the College Football Playoff without winning the Big Ten if it wins its first 11 games and drops a close one to Ohio State. It would need help though and there are a number of other strong contenders.

Oklahoma will get its first set (sort of) at Nebraska this week. Michigan has another cupcake and USC already passed its first test against Stanford with flying colors.

The Trojans look like the team to beat in the Pac-12. They are going to be a playoff contender this season.

As far as Notre Dame, they are done. Texas A&M might be too, but since they play in the SEC West, if they somehow run the table and went 12-1, sure they’d make the playoff. But that’s hard to see happening.

Arkansas looked good again in a win over South Carolina and the Razorbacks feel like the real challenger in the West to Alabama, not A&M. Mark Stoops and Kentucky also got a big win at Florida, but it’s hard to take them seriously until they beat Georgia.

BYU also could get into the mix. Think Cincinnati. Notre Dame, Oregon, and Arkansas are all on the schedule and if the Cougars keep winning, they’ll probably get enough momentum to be a top-four team. Yet, going 12-0 will be the hard part.

Plus a Group of Five Independent could be an ever tougher sell than the Bearcats in 2021.