The first College Football Playoff rankings drop Tuesday, November 3, and the field is wide open. After USC stunned Ohio State 30-18 at the Coliseum, projections have Georgia at No. 1, unbeaten Miami at No. 2, and the Buckeyes tumbling down the board.
College Football Playoff race (Credits: ESPN)
It is the first time since 2011 that Ohio State has lost twice before November. Projectors demoted the Buckeyes from a projected Big Ten champion to an at-large pick, with the loss to USC exposing issues on both sides of the ball.
College Football Playoff projection: top 12 after Week 9
One widely-cited projection (SI/FanNation) stacks the field like this: No. 1 Georgia (projected SEC champion after beating up Florida), No. 2 Miami (unbeaten ACC leader), No. 3 Utah (undefeated Big 12 leader), No. 4 Indiana (new projected Big Ten champion), No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 12 Boise State as the Group of Six representative.
Indiana’s jump is one of the biggest stories: after an overtime escape at Minnesota, the Hoosiers now project as Big Ten champions with Ohio State out of the driver’s seat.
Who jumps Ohio State in the committee rankings?
The first committee reveal will tell us how much the selectors punish a two-loss Ohio State. Georgia, Miami and Utah all look safely ahead; the real battle is on the bubble, where Notre Dame sits just outside — its fate tied to next week’s massive game at Miami.
Ole Miss could jump in if it beats Georgia next Saturday, while Alabama remains a plausible three-loss playoff team if it dominates the rest of its schedule. Every Week 9 result will be re-litigated on Tuesday’s ranking show.
Also Read: No. 1 Miami Survives North Carolina Upset Scare 38-35, Sets Up Massive Notre Dame Showdown | USC Stuns No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 as Jayden Maiava Delivers Lincoln Riley’s Biggest Win
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
