What the College Football Playoff Rankings should look like this week
![Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart screams during the first half against the Florida Gators at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fdd19e8eb1f6f959bf1b60932bda74e47f1b228e737c2033032f56f6771c99dfd.jpg "Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart screams during the first half against the Florida Gators at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
The general public got our first insight on the College Football Playoff Committee’s rankings last Tuesday. To the shock of many, the CFP Committee had the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of the Georgia Bulldogs, winners of 26 straight games. They had Michigan and Florida State rounding out the CFP qualifiers with Pac-12 foes Washington and Oregon sitting outside-looking-in at 5 and 6 respectively. Filling out the next few teams, Texas sat atop an interesting group of 3, holding a head-to-head win over no. 8 Alabama and a head-to-head loss to no. 9 Oklahoma. Ole Miss, Penn State, and Missouri fill the last three spots that would be filled in the 12-team playoff format starting next year.
After this past weekend’s slate of games, there were few upsets at the top, but a lot of realignment in the middle and end, realignments which could prove defining for the big teams on decision day.
This is what the College Football Playoff rankings should look like for week 11:
No. 25: Kansas State Wildcats (6-3, -2). Kansas State is one of several teams vying to make the Top 25 but is reeling after an OT loss and a questionable call at the end of the game. There are a few other teams who can lay claim to this last spot, but K-State’s overall body of work against a tough schedule gives them the edge over the field. Kansas State plays Baylor in Manhattan on Saturday.
No. 24: North Carolina Tar Heels (7-2, NR). After peaking at no. 10 in the AP Poll in week 8, HC Mack Brown and Sophomore QB Drake Maye have fallen into a big slump. A disastrous loss at home against a one-win Virginia Cavaliers squad, followed by a shootout loss in Atlanta against Georgia Tech left the Tar Heels reeling for answers. On Saturday, they bounced back well against FCS opponent Campbell at Keenan Memorial in a 59-7 rout. The Tar Heels are back in action this Saturday at home against Duke.
No. 23: James Madison Dukes (9-0, NR). The Dukes have been electric since coming into the FBS division last year, sporting a 17-3 record since making the two-year transition to the FBS. Of course, they are not bowl-eligible, but it’s a great story coming out of rural Virginia.
No. 22: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3, -7). A ridiculous schedule leaves a talented team 7-3 with tough losses against quality opponents. The Irish are very talented but a schedule of this magnitude of difficulty would be a challenge for any team. Sam Hartman has performed as well as any team could except a new QB against a momentous schedule. The Fighting Irish are off this week and face Wake Forest in South Bend on 11/18.
No. 21: Tulane Green Wave (8-1, +3). For the second year in a row, Tulane is the best team in the Group of Five; their only loss this year is against the SEC (Ole Miss). They will make a strong competitor in their bowl game, much like their comeback against USC in the Cotton Bowl last January. The Green Wave looks to stay atop the American against Tulsa on Saturday.