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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projected Top 25 for Championship Weekend

By Michael Whitlow

Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions football players carry the Land-Grant trophy following the competition of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions football players carry the Land-Grant trophy following the competition of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /
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Rivalry Saturday was one for the ages thanks to the thriller in Columbus between Michigan and Ohio State. With the playoff taking shape, who will rise and who will fall in next week’s College Football Playoff rankings?

Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the final week of the regular season next week.

Basically, if you have Alabama No. 1, you’re guaranteed at least one team in the correct spot. After that, well … you’re on your own trying to sort this weirdness out.

Michigan will likely fall after losing one of the best editions of “The Game” against Ohio State in Columbus, while Lamar Jackson’s Heisman Trophy lead shrank after a befuddling loss to in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.

Washington, Wisconsin and Penn State all got some help with Michigan’s loss, while P.J. Fleck and the Western Michigan Broncos continued to row the freakin’ boat.

With all of this chaos in the books, what will the College Football Playoff rankings look like next week? Here’s a look at some projections.

In the playoff:

1. Alabama – 12-0, and only Florida sit in between the Crimson Tide and the College Football Playoff for the third time in the three years of the College Football Playoff. They rolled over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday.

2. Ohio State – “The Game” hadn’t meant that much for both teams in quite some time, but the Buckeyes and Wolverines left everything on the field on Saturday afternoon. It came with some controversy, but the Bucks survived in double overtime. Can an 11-1 record with wins over Michigan and Oklahoma keep them in the playoff despite no Big Ten title game appearance?

3. Clemson – The Tigers just trounced South Carolina in their annual in-state showdown at home on Saturday night. Like Alabama, all that’s left is the conference title game and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff again.

4. Washington – One of the big winners this weekend: Washington. The Huskies stomped all over Washington State in the Apple Cup and got some help from “The Game” in Columbus. If the Huskies win the Pac-12 title game over Colorado next Friday night, they should be in without much argument.

First two out:

5. Wisconsin – Wisconsin’s two losses this season are at Michigan and at home (in overtime) to Ohio State. With a win over Minnesota in their annual rivalry game for a huge freakin’ ax, the Badgers are set up for another Big Ten title game appearance. Could a win over Penn State get them in?

6. Penn State – Was there a bigger winner this weekend than the Nittany Lions? Not only did Penn State win the Land Grant Trophy, Ohio State beat Michigan, so they’re heading to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game next weekend. If they win against Wisconsin, will the committee leave out the B1G Champion and the lone blemish on Ohio State’s schedule?

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The rest of the field:

7. Michigan – Michigan had to wait a full year to get back at Ohio State for the 42-13 beatdown the Buckeyes gave them last year. For a bulk of the game on Saturday, it appeared the Wolverines would get their revenge and a spot in the Big Ten title game. But, some bad breaks kept the maize and blue from making the CFP this season.

8. Oklahoma – Like I said last week, there’s still a lot of football left, but the Big XII still has a shot at the playoff thanks to Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield is in the Heisman talks again and so is Dede Westbrook for that matter. A win in the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State keeps their slim CFP hopes alive.

9. Colorado – The Buffs are the stuff. Colorado got past Utah at home on Saturday night, so the Huskies await them in the Pac-12 title game next Friday night. Can the Buffaloes truly go from worst-to-first out west?

10. Oklahoma State – The Pokes can make a New Year’s Six bowl with a win over Oklahoma. Can they find a way to slow down the Mayfield-Westbrook-Samaje Perine trio?

11. USC – The Trojans didn’t get the win from Utah they needed for another shot at Washington, but a 9-3 season after a 1-3 start is impressive. They’ll be a scary bunch heading into bowl season and next year, too.

12. Florida State – The Seminoles took down the Gators in their annual in-state meeting. They don’t have an ACC title game appearance coming, but a New Year’s Six bowl? Maybe.

13. West Virginia – After getting thoroughly handled by Oklahoma in the snow last week, the Mountaineers got a win over the Iowa State Cyclones (plus a ton of losses in front of them).

14. Auburn – The Tigers got mashed by the nation’s best team, but a ton of teams lost behind them in the final week of the season for many. They probably won’t fall too far.

15. Louisville – Losing to Kentucky? At home? The Cardinals’ chances at the CFP were gone with the loss to Houston last week, but Lamar Jackson’s Heisman Trophy chances got a little slimmer too this week.

16. Nebraska – The Huskers got manhandled in Kinnick Stadium this past Friday by Iowa, but the Huskers were in the Big Ten title hunt all year somehow. They’ll be bowling with nine wins.

17. Western Michigan – Row the boat towards the money, P.J. Fleck. The Broncos beat Toledo to clinch a 12-0 season and a spot in next week’s MAC Championship Game. What a year.

18. Navy – What Navy did to SMU this past weekend was rude. That was a massacre. And now, all that’s left is an appearance in the AAC title game next week and then their rivals from West Point in two weeks for one of college football’s best traditions.

19. Tennessee – The Vols lost to Vanderbilt on the road to close out their weird, struggle-filled, confusing, eight-win season.

20. Boise State – Luckily for the kids on the blue turf, their loss to Air Force came on a weekend where a lot of folks lost inside the Top 25. The Broncos falling just one spot from last week may not be that crazy.

21. Stanford – Stanford didn’t follow up their strong Rose Bowl victory in January with the best season, but the Cardinal still went 9-3 after a blowout win over Rice.

22. Virginia Tech – Well hey there, Hokies. In Justin Fuente’s first season, Virginia Tech will play for the ACC title against Clemson after a 52-10 shellacking of Virginia to seal a nine-win season.

23. Utah – The Utes could’ve played spoiler for USC in Boulder, and although they played the Buffs hard throughout Saturday night, it wasn’t enough in an ugly, but fun game.

24. Iowa – The Hawkeyes beat up on a nine-win Nebraska bunch by 30 points at home to close their season out on Friday. They could sneak back into the poll thanks to some losses.

Next: Ranking The 25 Best Rivalries In College Football

25. LSU – Stuff got weird this weekend against Texas A&M, but Derrius Guice led the Tigers to a wild victory over the Aggies, while Ed Orgeron is getting another shot at being a full-time head coach.

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