Projected CFP rankings after Michigan State loses, Alabama outlasts LSU, Cincinnati hangs on vs. Tulsa

Projected CFP rankings after Michigan State loses for the first time this season and Cincinnati avoids the upset at the hands of Tulsa.

If you thought that the top four teams in the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings were safe in Week 10, Purdue would like to have a word.

After pulling off an impressive come from behind win against the Michigan Wolverines, the Michigan State Spartans had no answers for the Boilermakers on Saturday, as they lost 40-29. With that, the Spartans are now on the outside looking in for the Playoff, something they did not think would happen one week after their biggest win of the season.

But how does this affect the rest of the rankings? Here is our projected Top Four and our First Two out.

Projected CFP rankings after Michigan State loss, Cincinnati survives scare

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs maintained the top seed in the projected rankings yet again. On Saturday, Georgia easily defeated the Missouri Tigers by the score of 43-6, where they held their offense to a grand total of 273 yards of total offense. As we say on a weekly basis, the No. 1 spot is Georgia’s as long as they keep winning this season.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide will not get the top seed in the playoff until they beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, which is not a given. It didn’t look pretty and they didn’t cover the 28.5-point spread but a win is a win and that’s what they got vs. a desperate LSU team. It’ll be enough to keep them in the No. 2 spot because of what happened behind them.

3. Oregon Ducks (with a win vs. Washington)

Oregon’s No. 4 ranking left many scratching their heads, considering they are a one-loss team that got the edge of the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners and Cincinnati Bearcats. The weather conditions were a mess in Seattle but Oregon did enough to move up in the rankings by virtue of Michigan State losing to Purdue.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

You can never count the Ohio State Buckeyes from making the Playoff. Come on, you should have learned this by now over the years. Ohio State did pick up the win over Nebraska, but it came by the narrow score of 26-17, as the Cornhuskers made it a game. Even though it was not a typical Ohio State blowout, they will climb from the No. 5 spot last week into the fourth-seed.

Playoff contenders on the outside looking in

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats felt all the love from the college football world after they were given just the No. 6 team in the official rankings on Tuesday. On this list, however, they only climb up to the N. 5 spot, since they barely beat the three-win Tulsa Golden Hurricane 28-20. A costly fumble at the goal line by Tulsa handed Cincinnati a gift-wrapped “W.” No bonus points for that.

6. Michigan Wolverines

Just when you thought the Wolverines were out of the Playoff, they still have a shot. Yes, they did lose to the Spartans this past week, but they will leapfrog their in-state rivals. Why? Because Michigan State lost to an unranked Purdue team. Michigan got back on track vs. Indiana and control their destiny if they win out, which would include wins over Penn State and Ohio State as well as a Big Ten Championship Game win over Wisconsin, in all likelihood.

How far will Michigan State fal in CFP rankings?

With this gut-wrenching loss, the Spartans will not fall just outside of the College Football Playoff. Instead, they will likely drop down to the No. 9 spot behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who beat Navy 34-6 this week. Hope is not lost, however, as Michigan State can send the Big Ten into chaos if they defeat Ohio State on Nov. 20 and get in the Big Ten Championship Game and win that game against what looks to be Wisconsin.

Wake Forest playoff bid falls flat with loss to UNC

Michigan State was not the only undefeated team to earn their first loss of the season in Week 10. Wake Forest, whom many were clamoring to have a better ranking in the rankings, lost a thriller to North Carolina 58-55. With this loss, they will likely fall into the mid-teens on the next rankings list.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.