College Football Playoff rankings 2022: Projected final Top 25 after Georgia and Michigan dominate, USC and TCU give Ohio State help

Dec 3, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Kenny McIntosh (6), head coach Kirby Smart, and quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) celebrate after a victory in the SEC Championship against the LSU Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

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Tulane Green Wave. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /

Projected College Football Playoff rankings after Week 14: No. 15-11

15. Tulane Green Wave

Tulane is New Year’s Six bowl bound after winning the American Athletic Conference Championship Game by exacting revenge upon UCF on Saturday afternoon and doing so in emphatic fashion. The Green Wave have been special this season under Willie Fritz and the program is surely wishing that 12-team expansion was this year as they’d be in the Playoff if that was the case.

14. Oregon State Beavers

Before beating rival Oregon in the regular-season finale, it felt as if Oregon State wasn’t getting just respect from the selection committee or otherwise. But with that win, they finished the season at 9-3 with one loss being a narrow contest against USC. Jonathan Smith is one of the most underrated coaches in college football and his job with the Beavers this season proves as much.

13. Florida State Seminoles

If the College Football Playoff or even conference championship games were chosen based simply on who is playing the best right now, then the Florida State Seminoles would have a CFP case and would’ve been playing in the ACC Championship Game. Jordan Travis made huge strides and was one of the best players in the country in November, making the future bright in Tallahassee under Mike Norvell moving forward.

12. Washington Huskies

Though Utah was able to get the job done in the Pac-12 Championship Game against USC, it’s still somewhat of a shame that Washington wasn’t able to be a part of that game given that they finished with a better overall record than the Utes, notched key wins over Oregon and Oregon State, and dominated the Apple Cup. Still, it looks like the Huskies definitely made the right hire with Kalen DeBoer.

11. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State was actually ranked No. 9 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings but, due to not playing in a conference championship and with teams like Utah and Kansas State scoring big wins, they get bumped down a bit. The Nittany Lions had one of the quietest 10-2 seasons imaginable, largely because they were trounced by Michigan and Ohio State. Still, it’s a great campaign from James Franklin’s team that should inspire confidence after a couple of down years.

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