CFP field largely unchanged heading into final week
The College Football Playoff rankings were largely unchanged Tuesday, as every team in the top 12 either won or had a bye in last week's action.
Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Georgia remain in the top-four slots, with Texas Tech just outside at No. 5. Ole Miss slipped to No. 7 as it heads into a pivotal week that includes the Rebels' Egg Bowl matchup against Mississippi State and Lane Kiffin's upcoming announcement about his coaching future.
Oregon jumped to No. 6 following Saturday's impressive win over USC. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame or Miami question is being pushed another week with the programs sitting at No. 9 and No. 12, respectively.
| Rank | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 11-0 |
| 2 | Indiana | 11-0 |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 11-0 |
| 4 | Georgia | 10-1 |
| 5 | Texas Tech | 10-1 |
| 6 | Oregon | 10-1 |
| 7 | Ole Miss | 10-1 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 9-2 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 9-2 |
| 10 | Alabama | 9-2 |
| 11 | BYU | 10-1 |
| 12 | Miami | 9-2 |
Miami needs plenty of help to secure a place in the ACC title game and will likely need an at-large bid to make the 12-team playoff. A win at Pitt on Saturday will go a long way toward improving the Hurricanes' chances.
Next week, Michigan welcomes Ohio State, while Texas hosts Texas A&M. Both the Wolverines and Longhorns need wins over top-three opponents to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Vanderbilt and Tennessee face off in a ranked matchup, with the winner putting pressure on the committee to include them as an at-large team.
USC dropped in the rankings after losing last weekend to Oregon, falling to No. 17 with virtually no shot of making the playoffs.
| Rank | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Utah | 9-2 |
| 14 | Vanderbilt | 9-2 |
| 15 | Michigan | 9-2 |
| 16 | Texas | 8-3 |
| 17 | USC | 8-3 |
| 18 | Virginia | 9-2 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 8-3 |
| 20 | Arizona State | 8-3 |
| 21 | SMU | 8-3 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | 8-3 |
| 23 | Georgia Tech | 9-2 |
| 24 | Tulane | 9-2 |
| 25 | Arizona | 8-3 |
Miami again finds itself as the ACC placeholder in the bracket, even though the Hurricanes likely won't be in the conference title game. That would give Virginia the best chance to play for a postseason spot if it beats Virginia Tech this weekend.
The race for the Group of 5 slot is heating up with Tulane getting the nod again from the committee over North Texas and James Madison.