College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Top 25 after Week 9

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 28: Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams (33) runs the ball in the 1st quarter during a college football game between the NC State Wolfpack and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 28, 2017, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 28: Josh Adams #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball in the third quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Notre Dame Stadium on October 28, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Notre Dame

Notre Dame gradually climbed the rankings. After convincing wins over USC and NC State while watching other teams lose, the Fighting Irish should leapfrog multiple big-name schools. That includes Miami. Better performances against highly-ranked teams should work in Brian Kelly’s favor, putting them just outside the top four. Who would have predicted this scenario before the season started?

No. 4: Ohio State

This is where things get interesting. Ohio State defeated No. 2 Penn State and will inevitably move up. In this situation, it receives the No. 4 spot in the rankings, one place behind Wisconsin. The Badgers are perfect but haven’t had the flashy schedule and games like the Buckeyes, which catches national attention. There’s a case for OSU getting the No. 3 ranking due to the big win, so will the AP Poll and College Football Playoff Committee reward them?

No. 3: Wisconsin

Wisconsin didn’t have a similar adventure to Ohio State in Week 9, but still remain perfect and have a light schedule on the way (no ranked teams for the rest of the season). Winning out will obviously do wonders for the Badgers, but will they be usurped by schools that play tougher schedules?

No. 2: Georgia

After Penn State’s downfall and Georgia’s dominating win over Florida, it pushes the Bulldogs to No. 2 and in a great position before the College Football Playoff Rankings. They control their own destiny for the rest of the season, before a potential SEC Championship Game against Alabama. If Georgia remains perfect before that, then a spot in the top four should be locked.

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No. 1: Alabama

No game for Alabama this week. They watched Penn State and TCU fall, which only tightened the grip on the No. 1 spot in the College Football Rankings. It means plenty for Tuesday’s College Football Playoff Ranking, too, as the committee could give them leeway from the rest of the pack. Amazingly, the Crimson Tide will play their first ranked team since Week 1, LSU.

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