College Football Playoff rankings 2022: Projected Week 11 Top 25 after LSU upsets Alabama, Georgia routs Tennessee, Clemson upset

Projected College Football Playoff rankings after Week 10: No. 18-17

18. Texas Longhorns

The more you think you learn about Texas this season, the less it seems that we actually know what this team is. After the wild three-game run of shutting out Oklahoma, escaping Iowa State and then losing to what now appears to be a very average Oklahoma State team, the Longhorns came out of the bye and went on the road to the always-difficult Manhattan to face previously No. 13-ranked Kansas State. Of course, they picked up a nice win.

Bijan Robinson was a monster with a 209-yard showing and Quinn Ewers was fine but not great. The Longhorns defense also showed up well for at least the first half against a tricky opposing unit. But at the same time, with Alabama losing, one of Texas’ biggest feathers in its cap now doesn’t shine quite as nicely. So what do we make of this team? We’ll definitely find out next week when Texas hosts undefeated TCU.

17. NC State Wolfpack

It turns out that pivoting to third-string quarterback MJ Morris after seeing backup Jack Chambers struggle mightily to be productive might’ve been the thing that’s going to save NC State’s season. With Chambers, it seemed as if the Devin Leary injury was going to devastate the end result of this season for the Wolfpack. But since Morris took over, he’s orchestrated a comeback win and now helped his team beat ranked Wake Forest on Saturday night.

No matter who’s lining up under center, the trademark of this iteration of the Wolfpack has always been the defense and that was on full display against an explosive Demon Deacons offense. But it’s a credit to the freshman Morris for stepping up with 210 yards and three touchdown passes to help notch the win. And now, it doesn’t feel like “waiting on a loss to drop them out” with NC State in the rankings anymore.