College Football Playoff rankings after Week 8: SEC or Big Ten will get 2 teams in
By Scott Rogust
The College Football Playoff rankings won’t be officially released for two more weeks, but after Week 8, this is how they likely would shake out.
Week 8 of the college football season is in the books. Much like last week, there were some upsets in the Top 10 of the AP Top 25. No. 6 Penn State lost in the ninth-overtime to Illinois and No. 8 Oklahoma State fell to Iowa State 24-21.
It certainly was an eventful Saturday, but there were expected wins to close out the day. But how will that affect the College Football Playoff rankings?
Projected College Football Playoff rankings after Week 8
1. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs were idle this weekend, which means they will maintain their top spot in not only the College Football Playoff but the AP Top 25 poll as well. They return to the gridiron next week when they face the Florida Gators.
2. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati had a tough Week 8. Sure, they did defeat the Navy Shipmen, but it came at the narrow score of 27-20. But hey, a win is a win. Now, they will look to keep things up with a win next week against the Tulane Green Wave.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
Speaking of a scare, the Oklahoma Sooners sent their fanbase into a panic after they trailed the Kansas Jayhawks as large as 17-7 in the second half. But quarterback Caleb Williams saved the day by completing 15-of-20 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. That helped Oklahoma clinch the 35-23 win, and will move on to a Texas Tech matchup next weekend.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
It was the Third Saturday of October for Alabama, and they faced some tough competition against the Tennessee Volunteers. It was close for the majority of the game, but the Crimson Tide pulled away late thanks to two touchdown runs by Brian Robinson and a touchdown pass by quarterback Bryce Young to earn the 52-24 win. The Crimson Tide got to smoke victory cigars and will maintain the No. 4 spot in the national rankings.
Playoff candidates on the outside looking in
5. Michigan Wolverines
The undefeated season of the Michigan Wolverines continued on Saturday, as they secured a 33-7 win over the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday. Their schedule only gets harder to close out the season, and it begins next Saturday when they face the Michigan State Spartans.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
After losing to the Oregon Ducks earlier this season, it appeared as though the Ohio State Buckeyes were not going to make the Playoff. Sure enough, they are still in the hunt, especially with losses by Penn State and Iowa in the past two weeks. It certainly helps that the Buckeyes scored an easy 54-7 over Indiana.
7. Oregon Ducks
Speaking of Oregon, they are far from out of it. Sure, they did lose to Stanford earlier this year, but that still remains as their only loss. On Saturday, the Ducks prevented the UCLA Bruins from winning the game or potentially forcing overtime with an interception by D.J. James, clinching the 34-31 win. All the Ducks have to do is win out and hope for either Cincinnati and/or Oklahoma to lose to propel into the Playoff picture.
8. Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans sat idle this weekend, and are still undefeated. Much like their in-state rivals, they have some tough matchups remaining in the final month-plus of the regular season (i.e. Ohio State, Penn State). They enter a battle of the undefeated teams next week when they play the in-state rival Wolverines.
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