CNN
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The Big Ten dominates the latest edition of the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, with the conference taking four of the top five spots in the new rankings released Tuesday night.
Unsurprisingly, undefeated Oregon State took the top spot for the second straight week over No. 2 Ohio State, another Big Ten powerhouse.
Another pair of Big Ten contenders, Penn State and unscathed Indiana, finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
However, there are still many decisions to be made in the final week of the regular season, and if everything falls into place, only the Big Ten champion will earn a straight bye into the quarterfinals of the 12-team playoffs.
In the CFP format, the top four conference champions earn the top four seeds in the bracket and a bye.
Ohio State has a big game against Indiana on November 23rd, with the winner likely to compete for the conference championship. Barring any shocking setbacks in the coming weeks, top-ranked Oregon State will be the other team advancing to the Big Ten title game on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Southeastern Conference (SEC) football fans aren’t used to seeing top fives like this.
🚨CFP Ranking Alert🚨#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/o0MVFbKyZY
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 13, 2024
SEC newcomer Texas sits in third place, but the Longhorns have a tough road ahead, including a road test against No. 15 Texas A&M in the final week of the regular season, before potentially facing another tough opponent in the SEC Championship. will face challenges. game in Atlanta.
After Saturday’s blowout loss to Ole Miss, Georgia fell from No. 3 to No. 12, becoming the first team to fall out of the current projected bracket. Per CFP rules, Boise State, currently No. 13, will enter the bracket ahead of Georgia as the highest-ranked conference champion outside of the Power 4 conferences.
The Bulldogs have a chance to bounce back and get back into contention when UGA hosts No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday.
BYU, the undefeated Big 12 leader, was ranked No. 6 in the latest rankings after last weekend’s controversial win over Utah. The Cougars are in a position to advance to the quarterfinals with a bye if they can continue to win the conference championship.
Despite suffering a surprising loss to Georgia Tech over the weekend, No. 9 Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team in the field. Despite the recent setbacks, Miami still has an inside track to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, where it will likely face either No. 14 SMU or No. 20 Clemson.
Independent powerhouse Notre Dame is firmly in control of its own destiny, ranking No. 8 this week. The Fighting Irish look forward to a matchup against undefeated No. 24 on Nov. 23 before their season finale against rival Southern California next week.
The SEC, which has produced 13 of the past 18 national champions, has added two more candidates to its current CFP slot, each with impressive wins.
On the road Saturday, No. 10 Alabama defeated No. 22 LSU, and No. 11 Ole Miss earned a comprehensive victory over Georgia. Both Alabama and Ole Miss have strong schedules in the final week of the season, but each team will end the regular season against their arch-rivals.
1️⃣7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/8U5yn8b39r
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) November 13, 2024
The commission ranks Colorado 17th. Head coach Deion Sanders told reporters before Tuesday’s rankings were released that the Buffaloes weren’t paying attention to the praise the 7-2 Buffaloes have been receiving in the national media recently.
“Why do we listen? Honestly, we don’t know who we are, what we are, how we are, where we’re going, and I don’t have time for that because I know how to get there,” he said.
Colorado hosts Utah on Saturday with a clear path to the Big 12 title game and a chance at an automatic CFP berth.
