The Big Ten Conference dominated the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, with four teams in the top five when the standings were revealed on Tuesday night.
Oregon, still undefeated, claimed the top spot for the second week in a row, just ahead of No. 2 Ohio State, another strong team from the Big Ten. Two other Big Ten teams, Penn State and unbeaten Indiana, took the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
There is still a lot to be decided in the final weeks of the season. When the regular season ends, only the Big Ten champion will earn a bye to the quarterfinals of the 12-team playoff. In the new CFP format, the four highest-ranked conference champions will get the top four seeds and a bye.
Ohio State has a key game against Indiana on November 23, and the winner of that matchup will likely play for the Big Ten championship. If Oregon continues its strong play, they will also play for the Big Ten title in Indianapolis on December 7.
In the Southeastern Conference (SEC), things look different than usual. Texas, a newcomer to the SEC, is ranked No. 3, but the Longhorns face tough challenges in the remaining weeks.
They’ll have a road game against No. 15 Texas A&M in the last week of the regular season, and then potentially another tough game in the SEC championship in Atlanta.
Georgia, after a tough loss to Ole Miss, dropped from No. 3 to No. 12, moving out of the current CFP bracket. If the CFP were held now, No. 13 Boise State would take the spot that Georgia had, as the highest-ranked conference champion outside the Power 4 conferences.
However, Georgia can still make a comeback and improve their standing with a big win on Saturday against No. 7 Tennessee.
Undefeated Big 12 leader BYU is ranked No. 6 after a controversial win over Utah. The Cougars are in a good position to earn a bye to the quarterfinals if they win their conference title.
Despite a surprising loss to Georgia Tech, No. 9 Miami is still the highest-ranked team from the ACC. Miami remains in a good position to reach the ACC championship game in Charlotte, where they could face either No. 14 SMU or No. 20 Clemson.
Notre Dame, ranked No. 8, is in a strong position to control its own fate. The Fighting Irish will face undefeated No. 24 Army on November 23 and then finish the season with a rivalry game against Southern Cal.
The SEC, which has won 13 of the last 18 national championships, has two more teams in the CFP bracket after strong wins last week. No. 10 Alabama dominated No. 22 LSU, while No. 11 Ole Miss defeated Georgia. Both teams have easier schedules in the final weeks, but they’ll face tough rivals to end the regular season.
Colorado, ranked No. 17, is also in the playoff picture. Head coach Deion Sanders said his team is focused on their goals, not the national attention they’ve been receiving.
Colorado, with a 7-2 record, has a clear path to the Big 12 title game and a potential spot in the CFP if they keep winning. They will play Utah on Saturday.
