Graphic by the College Football Playoff
Week 13 CFB Top 25 Rankings
My ranking criteria can be found in previous rankings and at the bottom of this article. But here are some of the highlights. Michigan is out for cheating. That’s the long and the short of that story. I echo Paul Finebaum that Michigan should be refused to acknowledge national champions should they win.
Being undefeated matters. That’s why I have Liberty where they are. Records should take precedence in rankings until the final rankings that are setting the playoff bracket. Now we are to it. Rivalry week. Where your opponent has the chance to ruin the previous 11 games in one weekend.
1. Georgia (11-0) (Last Week #1. CFP Ranking #1) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Georgia gonna Georgia. They just keep on steamrolling like they have for almost three seasons. They flattened rival Tennessee on the road and made it look easy. Next for them before their big one with Alabama is their rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
2. Ohio State (11-0) (Last Week #2. CFP Ranking #2) (Ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Buckeyes are like Georgia in that what you’ve seen all year from them is what you get. An offense running through Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson. A tough defense that hangs with anyone. Finally, quarterback play that may increase your blood pressure at times, but is still good enough to have them at 11-0.
3. Florida State (11-0) (Last Week #3. CFP Ranking #3) (Ranked #5 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Losing Jordan Travis was shot to the heart of Florida State. With the rankings being so tight in the top ten this season, being without your star quarterback can affect how the College Football Playoff Committee ranks you. If you and another team are tight at four and five, they may be given the nod instead of you if you’re without your best player.
4. Washington (11-0) (Last Week #4. CFP Ranking #4) (Ranked #4 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Washington just keeps winning. With their 22-20 win over Oregon State they’re now guaranteed a Pac-12 Championship Game appearance, win or lose in the Last Apple Cup. With their defeat of the Beavers they’ve made sure they’ll face either Oregon again or…*checks notes*…Arizona! The Pac-12 is going out with a bang!
5. Liberty (11-0) (Last Week #5. CFP Ranking #25) (Ranked #22 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Flames are 11-0 with only a trip to UTEP left before their Conference USA Championship game against New Mexico State in December. Jamey Chadwell and Kaidon Salter just keep winning. Only five teams are 11-0 and undefeated going into the final week of the regular season. Liberty is one of them.
6. Oregon (10-1) (Last Week #7. CFP Ranking #6) (Ranked #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Oregon keeps marching on behind Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign. Now they have a couple of revenge games to play for. Beat rival Oregon State after losing to them last year and they win the final version of their rivalry game AND clinch a spot to face Washington again. This time for the Pac-12 Title and a playoff spot on the line.
7. Texas (10-1) (Last Week #8. CFP Ranking #7) (Ranked #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Longhorns outlasted a resurgent Iowa State team on the road and now have to worry about a final rivalry game (like Washington and Oregon) to close the season. They get Texas Tech at home, but Tech is a team that is trending in the right direction after a slump so must win to get to the Big 12 Championship, and to keep moving toward the playoffs.
8. Alabama (10-1) (Last Week #9. CFP Ranking #8) (Ranked #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Bama won 66-10 on the SEC Football’s Annual Layup Saturday. The Iron Bowl against Auburn is next week. Nick Saban’s team is just doing what they do, winning and improving with every day. It would take some craziness on the field for their game against Georgia to be anything other than a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal.
9. Louisville (10-1) (Last Week #10. CFP Ranking #10) (Ranked #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Cards won a shootout as they beat Miami to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Louisville will play Florida State on December 2nd but like the Seminoles, they will have to beat their in-state SEC rival first to keep their underdog postseason hopes alive. They will take on Kentucky in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup.
10. Tulane (10-1) (Last Week #11. CFP Ranking #23) (Ranked #18 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Green Wave now have a showdown with UTSA on Black Friday with a New Year’s Six game on the line for them and a guaranteed conference championship game appearance on the line for both teams. UTSA has won seven straight after starting 1-3, and quarterback Frank Harris is red hot.
11. Toledo (10-1) (Last Week #12. Unranked in the CFP) (Ranked #23 in the AP and unranked in the Coaches Polls)
The Rockets should be ranked in all polls. They’ve won 10 straight games and at 10-1 it is ridiculous to have teams with three or four losses ranked ahead of them. Wins and losses are the ultimate standard in all of sports and 10-1 is better than 7-3. Toledo gets Central Michigan with a chance to be 11-1 when they play in the MAC Championship in Detroit.
12. James Madison (10-1) (Last Week #6. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
With the NCAA screwing over the Dukes earlier in the week and officials in Virginia stating they were going to fight James Madison’s postseason lives it is no wonder they were a little off or distracted. Having hope taken away and given back that rapidly couldn’t have helped them prepare for this game. But give App State credit for the win and realize JMU is still in the midst of a great season. This loss doesn’t change that the NCAA is being stupid and screwing them and Jacksonville State over with stupid, ancient, and pointless rulings.
13. Penn State (9-2) (Last Week #13. CFP Ranking #11) (Ranked #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Nittany Lions are on the verge of another 11-2 season and their fans are probably feeling a little conflicted. Rightly so. Playing your way into the New Year’s Six Bowls is a great thing but being unable to dethrone the Big Two of the Big Ten in back-to-back years stings. Division-less play in an 18-team conference and the 12-team College Football Playoff can’t get here soon enough for Penn State.
14. Missouri (9-2) (Last Week #15. CFP Ranking #9) (Ranked #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Mizzou is a good team, I’m just not as convinced as the CFP Committee that they’re top ten. Their win over Kansas State was great, but their SEC East schedule has been against teams that are right around the .500 mark and only play eight conference games. Still, if they finish 11-2 they will finish in the top 10 and made a believer out of me.
15. Iowa (9-2) (Last Week #16. CFP Ranking #17) (Ranked #20 and #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Iowa clinched the Big Ten West ahead of their Black Friday rivalry game against Nebraska. While the Hawkeyes’ offensive woes continue to hurt them, their defense can go toe-to-toe with anyone and when they play the winner of The Game, they’ll give Ohio State or Michigan a tough test.
16. Ole Miss (9-2) (Last Week #18. CFP Ranking #12) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Rebels also took care of business on the SEC Football’s Annual Layup Saturday. To their credit, they played an FBS team and won 35-3 in their tune-up game for the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving Night. That game is becoming one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions and I’ve never even been to Mississippi.
17. Oklahoma (9-2) (Last Week #19. CFP Ranking #13) (Ranked #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Oklahoma has a lot to worry about after their one-touchdown win over BYU. The Cougars who are one of the worst rushing teams in the country, ran all over the Sooners. But you’d rather have that game against a BYU team that will give you every chance to beat them than against teams that will kill you for having such a lousy game. If Dillon Gabriel is good to go for the Sooners next week their conference title hopes will remain alive, but they’ll need some help from the very BYU team they just beat.
18. Troy (9-2) (Last Week #20. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Trojans of Alabama have clinched the West Division in the Sun Belt and will play for the conference championship on December 2nd. Troy will be looking to win its second straight Sun Belt Championship and be on the path for its second straight 12-2 season.
19. SMU (9-2) (Last Week #21. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked and #25 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
SMU got a big win over Memphis in what was essentially a conference semifinal. With a win over Navy next Saturday the Mustangs would guarantee themselves an AAC Championship game appearance against the winner of Tulane and UTSA. SMU has both a top-ten offense and top-ten defense and are on a seven-game winning streak.
20. UNLV (9-2) (Last Week #23. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
UNLV and the Mountain West find themselves in an interesting place in the final week of play. The top four teams in the conference standings play each other. So the winner of UNLV and San Jose State will play the winner of Boise State and Air Force for the Mountain West Championship.
21. Miami (OH) (9-2) (Last Week #24. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Redhawks are having their best season of the Chuck Martin Era. Even without senior Brett Gabbert they’ve won the games to get them to 9-2 and clinch the MAC East Championship. They’ll face Toledo in a rematch for the MAC title at Ford Field in Detroit. Super sophomores Aveon Smith and Rashad Amos will look to carry Miami and Redhawks fans better enjoy these two because Power 4 teams and the transfer portal may come calling after this season.
22. New Mexico State (9-3) (Last Week #25. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
New Mexico State was the fly in the soup of the SEC’s Annual Chicken Saturday. If they were supposed to just roll over for Auburn, no one told them, and if they did they ignored them. Jerry Kill’s team is 9-3 and looking to play spoiler to undefeated Liberty in December.
23. Arizona (8-3) (Unranked Last Week. CFP Ranking #15) (Ranked #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Wildcats have quietly played their way to a possible 10-win season. They’re currently third in the Pac-12 Standings. If they defeat Arizona State and Oregon State beats Oregon, they have a chance to make it into the Pac-12 Championship for a rematch with Washington.
24. Kansas State (8-3) (Unranked Last Week. CFP Ranking #19) (Ranked #19 and #20 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Kansas State and Arizona are two of the top 8-3 teams because they still have a chance to win their conferences. They need help, but they can still be Big 12 and Pac-12 Champions. K-State faces Iowa State next and must win and need BYU and TCU to win as well.
25. Notre Dame (8-3) (Unranked Last Week. CFP Ranking #18) (Ranked #17 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Fighting Irish could really use a conference right about now. This time next year they could be in the shoes of K-State and Arizona if they had one. 8-3 with a chance at a conference title and automatic playoff bid. If certain dominos fall their way this year, at 9-3 they could make a New Years’ Six Bowl. They just have to beat Stanford on the road. While it’s not the standard Notre Dame aspires to, 10-3 in year two of Marcus Freeman is very possible as their program moves forward.
Teams on the Radar
LSU (8-3)
Oklahoma State (8-3)
NC State (8-3)
UTSA (8-3)
Jacksonville State (8-3)
Ohio (8-3)
Game of the Week
Louisville at Miami
New Year’s Six
Rose Bowl (Semi-Final) – Ohio State vs. Washington
Sugar Bowl (Semi-Final) – Georgia vs. Texas
Cotton Bowl – Alabama vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl – Penn State vs. Florida State
Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame
Peach Bowl – Louisville vs. Liberty
National Championship Georgia over Ohio State
The rankings are if the season ended today. But the bowl projections are how I think the future will shake out the rest of the season. In my rankings, wins, and losses count. I will try my best to be consistent about this and never rank a team with two losses above a team with one loss, unless head-to-head results say otherwise.
These rankings are how well a team is playing and how well they have played. Things like being undefeated count and will count all year, because the only way a team with a loss is having a better season than a team with no losses, is if the one loss team is selected to the playoff field over the undefeated team. There are certainly teams highly ranked that would lose to teams ranked beneath them, but those teams at the moment are having better seasons by having won all their games.
