1. Oregon Ducks (12-0)
As the last undefeated team remaining in Division I, Oregon’s spot atop the Power Rankings is secure. The Ducks capped off an undefeated regular season with a 49-21 win over the rival Washington Huskies. Last season, the Ducks finished 12-2 with both losses coming to Washington by three points each. Now, Oregon will face Penn State for the Big Ten Championship and will most likely enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 or No. 5 seed.
2. Texas Longhorns (11-1)
The Longhorns nearly reached the National Championship last season and they are geared to make a run once again in a few weeks. Last weekend, Texas secured its spot in the SEC Championship with a road victory over the rival Texas A&M Aggies. Texas dominated statistically — outgaining A&M 461-248 — but allowed the Aggies to stay in the game with sloppy play in the second half. Up 17-0 at halftime, Texas gifted A&M its only points on a pick-six and fumbled in the red zone on its next possession to keep its lead at 10 points. Next, the Horns have an opportunity to avenge their lone loss when they take on Georgia in the SEC Championship.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1)
Entering last weekend, Penn State likely didn’t have much belief that it would be playing in the Big Ten Championship against No. 1 Oregon. However, Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan opened the door for the Nittany Lions. With a win over Maryland, it would be Lions vs. Ducks for the conference title. PSU trailed 7-3 after 15 minutes but outscored Maryland 28-0 in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Regardless of the outcome this weekend, Penn State will be in the 12-team CFP field.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1)
The Fighting Irish secured a spot in the College Football Playoff with a big win over Southern Cal. After Jayden Maiava rushed for his second TD of the game for the Trojans, Notre Dame responded with back-to-back touchdowns in the final six minutes of the third quarter to take a 35-21 lead. The lead was cut to seven midway through the fourth and USC had an opportunity to tie the game with a tick under four minutes to play. Then, Christian Gray secured the victory with a 99-yard pick-six. Two minutes later, Xavier Watts scored on a 100-yard pick-six. The Irish will host an opening-round game in the CFP.
5. Boise State Broncos (11-1)
Boise State is in a position to earn a top-4 seed and a first-round Bye in the College Football Playoff. Led by Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos dispatched Oregon State with ease — knocking off the Beavers 34-18. Jeanty rushed for 226 yards on the day to bring his season total to 2,288 yards. Boise will face a very good UNLV (10-2) team in the Mountain West Championship Game. Earlier this year, Boise traveled to Las Vegas and topped the Rebels 29-24.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (10-2)
If you listened to ESPN’s broadcast of Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, you likely heard the announcers mention — numerous times — that a loss wouldn’t matter to Georgia. With a win over Texas in the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs would still reach the CFP. Regardless of that fact, Georgia’s performance against Tech wasn’t encouraging. The heavily favored Dogs trailed 27-13 late in the fourth quarter and needed a good dose of luck and shoddy officiating to force overtime. Then, Georgia needed eight OT periods to take down the Yellow Jackets.
7. SMU Mustangs (11-1)
It is time to see what the Mustangs are made of. In its first season in the ACC, SMU went undefeated in conference play and earned a spot in the ACC Championship. Due to fortunate scheduling, the Mustangs didn’t play the teams that finished 2nd (Clemson), 3rd (Miami), or fourth (Syracuse) in the regular season. SMU is not a lock to reach the CFP with a loss to Clemson, but a victory would result in a first-round Bye and a top-4 seed.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2)
O-H, oh no. While the Buckeyes will still find themselves in the College Football Playoff, last weekend’s loss to Michigan will sting for a while. OSU entered the week ranked No. 2 and was hosting a 6-5 group of Wolverines that were at a talent disadvantage. Will Howard was bad (175 yards, two INTs on 33 attempts), the running game failed to produce (77 yards on 26 carries), and the offense was shut out in the second half. The Buckeyes have now lost four in a row to Michigan and may need to win the National Championship to save Ryan Day’s job.
9. Tennessee Volunteers (10-2)
With a nice road win over Vanderbilt, Tennessee likely did enough to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. The opening minutes were a disaster for the Volunteers, however. Vanderbilt returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and the Vols fumbled the ball back to Vandy on their second offensive snap. Seven plays later, Vandy took a 14-0 lead. Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee’s comeback with four passing touchdowns including three in the first half. The Vols went on a 36-3 run between the 10:22 mark of the first quarter and the 8:24 mark of the fourth. Now, the Vols will sit back and see whether they will host a first-round game or have to hit the road.
10. Indiana Hoosiers (11-1)
There was never a doubt that Indiana would beat Purdue last weekend. Following its first loss of the year, Indiana drubbed the miserable Boilermakers 66-0 to solidify its spot in the College Football Playoff. Kurtis Rourke torched Purdue for 349 yards and six touchdowns. The Hoosiers added three more scores on the ground and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. 66-0 is as lopsided as it gets, but the stats are even uglier for Purdue. Indiana held the Boilermakers to 67 total yards and five first downs — and forced five turnovers.
11. Arizona State Sun Devils (10-2)
Arizona State’s unlikely run to the College Football Playoff is nearly complete. With a win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Sun Devils will secure a CFP berth and may be in contention for a first-round Bye if things fall their way. Last weekend, ASU torched its rival, Arizona, 49-7. Sam Leavitt went 17-of-22 for 291 yards and three TDs, and star running back Cam Skattebo gashed the Wildcats for 177 yards and three TDs on 21 carries.
12. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3)
Did the Gamecocks do enough to gain entry to the College Football Playoff? We’ll see. South Carolina’s strong close to the regular season concluded with a 17-14 win over Clemson. Taking down the Tigers on the road gave the Gamecocks a marquee win and kept their CFP hopes alive. While it may need some help this weekend to reach the CFP, Carolina is a program headed in the right direction.
13. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3)
Like South Carolina, Ole Miss is hoping for a miracle this weekend. The Rebels would have been a lock to reach the College Football Playoff if not for their loss to Florida two weeks ago. On the heels of that loss, Ole Miss came out flat in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (2-10) led 14-10 at halftime and were playing with confidence. However, the Rebels outscored their rival 16-0 after the intermission to win their ninth game of the season.
14. Miami Hurricanes (10-2)
While Ohio State’s loss to Michigan garnered all of the headlines last weekend, Miami’s loss to Syracuse had the biggest implications for the College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes raced out to a 21-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to a showdown with SMU for the ACC Championship. Instead, the Canes found themselves tied at 21 less than one minute into the third quarter and soon faced a deficit. Losers of two-of-three, Miami only has itself to blame for (likely) missing the CFP.
15. Iowa State Cyclones (10-2)
The Cyclones once appeared to be in a good position for a CFP berth. Iowa State began the year 7-0 and rose to No. 9 in the nation. Then, two losses in a row put the team in a tough spot — it would need help to reach the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cyclones took care of business by ending the season with three wins in a row, capped off with an impressive win over then-No. 24 Kansas State. Now, Iowa State will face Arizona State for an opportunity to play in the CFP.
