An Uncle Rico Production
Tuesday night saw Georgia ascending to the top position in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, surpassing Ohio State.
This advancement comes after Georgia’s consecutive wins against two top-25 teams: they made easy work of now #13 Ole Miss, 52-17 & closed out #9 Missouri in the ladder minutes of the game, 30-21 (thanks to a “fat guy run-back,” one of the best plays in football). These victories have significantly strengthened their schedule. But the job is not done for Georgia.
While they have sealed up the SEC East title & another matchup with SEC West champ #8 Alabama for the SEC crown, there is still much work to be done. This weekend, they travel to Knoxville to play a very good #21 Tennessee Volunteer team who is coming off a road defeat to #9 Mizzou. After that, it’s a rivalry game against a scrappy Georgia Tech who is looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. Then comes the aforementioned ‘Bama game. So, even if Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are exactly where they want to be on this November date, with all program goals well within reach, looking ahead could spell doom for their chance at a 3-peat.
Former #1 Ohio State now finds itself in second place, having been leapfrogged by Georgia. The Buckeyes’ have recorded notable wins over #19 Notre Dame & #12 Penn State, maintaining their lead over division rivals #3 Michigan in the CFP rankings. But is sure to change, as the Buckeyes & Wolverines will square off in their annual blood rivalry in two weeks. Michigan’s “Big House” will play host.
The current College Football Playoff rankings for the 2023 season are as follows:
- 1. Georgia (10-0 record)
- 2. Ohio State (10-0)
- 3. Michigan (10-0)
- 4. Florida State (10-0)
- 5. Washington (10-0)
- 6. Oregon (9-1)
- 7. Texas (9-1)
- 8. Alabama (9-1)
- 9. Missouri (8-2)
- 10. Louisville (9-1)
- 11. Oregon State (8-2)
- 12. Penn State (8-2)
- 13. Ole Miss (8-2)
- 14. Oklahoma (8-2)
- 15. LSU (7-3)
- 16. Iowa (8-2)
- 17. Arizona (7-3)
- 18. Tennessee (7-3)
- 19. Notre Dame (7-3)
- 20. North Carolina (8-2)
- 21. Kansas State (7-3)
- 22. Utah (7-3)
- 23. Oklahoma State (7-3)
- 24. Tulane (9-1)
- 25. Kansas (7-3)
Michigan, ranked third, secured its first top-25 victory of the season with a 24-15 win over Penn State, causing the Nittany Lions to fall to the 12th spot. With their head coach being suspended the final three games of the season (two remaining) due to a cheating scandal, their defensive domination in Happy Valley was clearly on the committee’s mind.
Florida State, holding firm at fourth, achieved a significant victory over Miami in their historic rivalry game, 27-20. To think that, at the beginning of the season, head coach Mike Norvell was on the hottest of seats. Now, should FSU make the CFP, he’ll be the frontrunner for “Coach of the Year.”
Despite Washington’s three top-25 wins, including a recent 35-28 victory over #22 Utah, they remain in fifth place, just behind Florida State, who has one top-25 win (#15 LSU). Honestly, it’s a complete joke that the Huskies don’t have a spot in the CFP. They’ve played a more difficult schedule than FSU, OSU, & UM. The PAC12 is a much better conference than FSU’s ACC, and the argument can be made for the BIG10. It’s clear that fan base aka $$$ factored into the committee members’ most recent rankings.
The rankings for the sixth to eighth spots remain unchanged: Oregon at sixth, Texas at seventh, and Alabama at eighth. Missouri climbed five places to ninth after defeating Tennessee 36-7, and Louisville completes the top 10. A victory for Louisville against Miami this Saturday could secure them a spot in the ACC championship game against Florida State.
Iowa made a notable leap in the rankings, moving from 22nd to 16th. Despite having no top-25 wins and a statistically weak offense, Iowa’s 8-2 record is impressive. A win against Illinois this Saturday would clinch the Big Ten West Division title and a spot in the conference championship game.
Tulane, ranked 24th, remains the only Group of 5 team in the rankings this week, and no new teams have entered the rankings.
