College football rankings 2023, Projected Week 13 CFP Top 25: Washington jumps FSU, Georgia dominates

Projected Top 25 College Football Playoff rankings after Week 12: No. 2-1

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Unlike the rival Wolverines, the week before The Game was anything but a sweat for the Ohio State Buckeyes – or at least that’s the way the final score played out. 

Kyle McCord, once again, had a relatively slow start for the Buckeyes as the offense was limited to five possessions in the first half, which resulted in an opening-drive touchdown run for TreVeyon Henderson, two failures to convert in the red zone that ended in field goals, one punt, and then six plays for nine yards that led into halftime. 

The good news is that OSU came out of the locker room on fire with a 75-yard score from Henderson, a fumble on Minnsota’s first play of the second half, and a Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown reception from four yards out that gave Ohio State a 27-0 lead. The defense continued to make life hell for the Gophers and cruised to a 37-3 win. It wasn’t an overwhelmingly great effort from the Buckeyes, but it was more than dominant enough to get another convincing win. 

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The third consecutive ranked opponent for Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs, another feather in the cap for the defending back-to-back national champions. 

Tennessee scored on the first play of the game and some people fired off quick jokes that the Vols were about to put a scare into their SEC East rivals. That was not remotely true, though, as Neyland Stadium soon became as quiet as a caretaker-less graveyard when Carson Beck and the Dawgs got things rolling. Georgia scored 24 straight points to take a commanding lead, even with the Vols adding a field goal before halftime. UGA added two more scores in the second half while blanking Tennessee for the dominant 38-10 victory. 

Carson Beck has really hit his stride of late at the helm of the Dawgs offense, which he showed again with nearly 300 yards passing and three touchdown passes. The offensive line is now healthy, opening the way for Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. With the way Mike Bobo has this thing humming and with the talent on the Georgia defense, they are the rightful natty favorites and very much in line for the historic three-peat.