Miami’s hopes for making the playoffs took a big hit, while Alabama’s chances improved in the latest rankings before the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is revealed next weekend.
The Hurricanes (10-2) dropped six spots to No. 12, which is just outside the projected playoff field after their second loss of the season. They now sit one spot behind the Crimson Tide (9-3), who moved up two spots to No. 11 after winning last week. Alabama is currently the last team in the playoff bracket and the fourth from the Southeastern Conference.
To make matters worse for Miami, selection committee chair and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said the Hurricanes can’t jump over Alabama since neither team plays next weekend. There is little chance for Miami to move up based on the results of conference title games.
This Miami-Alabama situation showed that the selection committee is considering more than just wins and losses. Strength of schedule and other factors seem to give the SEC an edge.
“We still think Miami is a very strong team,” Manuel said. “It came down to a difference in their body of work… not just wins, not just losses but the totality of the season and how those teams performed.”
Manuel pointed out three key factors: Alabama is 3-1 against current Top 25 teams, while Miami is 0-1; Alabama has a 6-1 record against winning teams, while Miami is 4-2; and Miami has lost two of its last three games.
Oregon held onto the No. 1 spot for the fifth straight week and will head into Saturday’s Big Ten title game against Penn State as the only undefeated team in major college football.
The matchups for the first-ever 12-team playoff will be determined on Sunday, the day after the conference title games. The playoffs begin on Dec. 20, with the championship game set for Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
After losing to Michigan, Ohio State dropped four spots to No. 6, while Texas moved up to No. 2, Penn State to No. 3, Notre Dame to No. 4, and Georgia to No. 5.
The selection committee has essentially confirmed the Big 12 will only have one team in the playoffs, with Arizona State and Iowa State moving up to Nos. 15 and 16, respectively.
The top five ranked conference champions are guaranteed playoff spots, meaning the winner of the Big 12 title game will be in the playoffs, even if they don’t reach the top 12, which hurts Miami’s chances further.
SMU, on a nine-game winning streak, moved up to No. 8, making them the highest-ranked team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, they are still at risk of dropping out if they lose the title game to No. 17 Clemson.
The drama this week mostly centers around the SEC. Alabama, just two weeks removed from a tough 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, still received better treatment than Miami, who lost 42-38 at Syracuse last week with a chance to play in the ACC title game on the line.
Other teams ranked this week include Mississippi at No. 13, South Carolina at No. 14, Tennessee at No. 7, Indiana at No. 9, and Boise State at No. 10. The projected bracket includes four teams each from the Big Ten and SEC, one from the ACC, Mountain West, Big 12, and independent Notre Dame.
