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It's now the end of the college football regular season and it's onto conference championship weekend. That leaves this upcoming Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings as the last before the final selection week that will determine who will claim the top-4 spots. The regular season concluded with a rivalry week that saw Ohio State fall in “The Game,” Alabama miraculously finding victory in the Iron Bowl, and Washington kicking their way out of an upset in the Apple Cup. Just to name a few. Needless to say, this past weekend didn't disappoint, but it could leave the committee with another challenging task on their hands, particularly in the top-4. So how will it shake out?
Let's get into the College Football Playoff rankings predictions.
25. Liberty (12-0)
24. Clemson (8-4)
23. Tulane (11-1)
22. Tennessee (8-4)
21. Kansas State (8-4)
20. Oregon State (8-4)
19. NC State (9-3)
18. Notre Dame (9-3)
17. Oklahoma State (9-3)
16. Iowa (10-2)
15. Arizona (9-3)
14. LSU (9-3)
13. Louisville (10-2)
12. Oklahoma (10-2)
11. Ole Miss (10-2)
Now we get into the top-10 of the College Football Playoff rankings predictions.
10. Penn State (10-2)
With Louisville losing to Kentucky, it's likely they will fall out of the top 10, meaning a 10-2 Penn State will move up from the No. 11 spot. They demolished Michigan State 42-0 in Week 13.
9. Missouri (10-2)
Look for Missouri to stay put since they manhandled Arkansas in the final week of the regular season.
8. Alabama (11-1)
We'll never know how far Alabama football could have fallen if they had lost the Iron Bowl to a 6-5 Auburn team. In one of the wildest endings of the entire college football season, Jalen Milroe found Isaiah Bond on 4th-and-31 in the left corner of the end zone with 32 seconds left. But even if they had fallen to 10-2, it's likely the Crimson Tide would have remained in the top-10. We'll have to wait until the SEC Championship Game now, where they'll face Georgia, to see if they make any movement.
7. Texas (11-1)
Texas shouldn't be moving this week either after they blew out Texas Tech 57-7. The Longhorns are now moving onto the Big 12 Championship, where they'll face an Oklahoma State team who should move into the top-20. For now, the Longhorns, like Alabama, still have playoff hopes.
6. Ohio State (11-1)
The first major change comes in the No. 6 spot with Ohio State football. The Buckeyes had been either No. 1 or No. 2 in every week of the previous College Football Playoff rankings, but they very well could find themselves out of the top 5 after their loss to Michigan in “The Game” on Saturday. It's doubtful that they remain in the top-4, but stranger things have been voted on by the committee.
5. Oregon (11-1)
The Oregon/Oregon State rivalry came to an end (for now) with the Ducks taking a convincing win over their in-state rival, 31-7. That now places Oregon football in a rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Moving to No. 5 would move the Ducks up to their highest ranking in the CFP, just on the outside looking in. However, should they beat the Huskies, it would be hard to see the committee not putting them in the top 4.
4. Florida State (12-0)
Finding a way to squeak by yet another in-state rival in Florida in the battle of back-up quarterbacks in the final week, Florida State football could find themselves back in the top 4 thanks to Ohio State's loss. It's going to be hard to keep the Seminoles out of the playoff should they beat Louisville in the ACC Championship Game next week, backup quarterback or not.
3. Washington (12-0)
The Huskies have somehow been hanging on over the last month, including Saturday's Apple Cup against Washington State. Washington football walked out by the skin of their teeth in a 24-21 win, with their kicker earning himself a scholarship after kicking the game-winning field goal. They will now meet Oregon in the Pac-12 title game. With Washington's resume, they should only move up in Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings.
2. Michigan (12-0)
As massive as “The Game” was, Michigan football's win over their arch-nemesis Ohio State is really the best on their record, outside of Penn State, who will likely move back into the top-10. The Buckeyes were the No. 2 team in the country, but the Wolverines' schedule has been one of the weakest in the nation. Their win should, however, move them from No. 3 to No. 2.
1. Georgia (12-0)
The Bulldogs, even if they did let Georgia Tech get close in the end, shouldn't lose their No. 1 top spot in the upcoming College Football rankings. Georgia football now has a 29-game winning streak and is undefeated in the regular season over the last three seasons. The Bulldogs will meet their greatest test next weekend in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, that has tons of implications on the College Football Playoff top-4 rankings.
