close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Weekend of setbacks shakes up the College Football Playoff field ahead of ‘Rivalry Week’
news

Weekend of setbacks shakes up the College Football Playoff field ahead of ‘Rivalry Week’



CNN

After a weekend of chaos on the playing field, the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture looks noticeably different this week.

Undefeated Oregon remains at No. 1 in the new rankings released Tuesday by the CFP selection committee. The Ducks are followed by Ohio State at No. 2, Texas at No. 3 and Penn State at No. 4, all of which maintain their positions from last week.

After a resounding 49-14 victory over previously undefeated Army, Notre Dame moves up to No. 5, with rival Southern Cal the last remaining roadblock for the Fighting Irish.

Miami remains the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) school, moving up one spot to No. 6. The Hurricanes need a win against Syracuse on Saturday to secure a spot in the ACC championship game against No. 9 SMU, which already have earned a shot at the conference title in their first season in the league.

A slew of upsets in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) dropped Georgia to No. 7 and Tennessee to No. 8.

Shocking losses by Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M put Georgia in the SEC title game, where they will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M. Georgia, meanwhile, will play a non-conference tilt against their in-state rival Georgia Tech on Friday.

Mountain West Conference leaders Boise State moved up to No. 11 and would currently earn a first-round bye as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion. The Broncos host Oregon State on Friday before a showdown against No. 22 UNLV or Colorado State for the Mountain West crown on Dec. 6.

The Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 conference championships will all be played on December 7.

In the CFP format, the five highest-ranked conference champions are automatically placed into the twelve-team field, with the four highest-ranked conference champions receiving an immediate bye into the quarterfinals.

After a blowout win against BYU, No. 16 Arizona State is currently the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 Conference. That puts the Sun Devils in pole position to make the conference title game and possibly win their way to the CFP. But first Arizona State must travel south to play their nemesis Arizona on Saturday.

Arizona State players and fans celebrate after beating BYU.

Thanksgiving weekend marks the final week of the regular college football season and many teams from across the country will play their archrivals.

With just one week left until the conference championships, “Rivalry Week” will have added significance for the schools still vying for a CFP berth.

In what is annually one of the most anticipated events of the season, Ohio State will host Michigan on Saturday in the 120th edition of “The Game.” The Buckeyes need a win against the Wolverines to ensure a rematch against Oregon in the Big Ten title game.

Top-ranked Oregon faces a border war against their neighbors in northern Washington on Saturday, even though the Ducks are already confident they will be playing for the conference crown.

For CFP candidates not slated for their conference championship games, these rivalry matchups provide a final opportunity to strengthen their resumes prior to selection day.

Tennessee can boost their chances of making the CFP field with a win again on Saturday over their rival Vanderbilt.

After a tough loss at the hands of Ohio State, Indiana fell to No. 10, but the Hoosiers still have a strong chance of being selected for the CFP if they can beat their rivals Purdue, who have yet to win a game in Big Ten conference play this year.

Clemson was a big player in the latest CFP rankings, jumping five spots to No. 12, where they are currently the first team left out of the CFP bracket. But with several higher-ranked teams guaranteed to lose before the end of the season, the Tigers can put their best foot forward on Saturday with a win over intrastate rival No. 15 seed South Carolina.

Alabama fell six spots to No. 13 after an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma, while fellow SEC power Ole Miss dropped five spots to No. 14 after its own stunning loss to Florida. Each team will be hoping for more chaos in the coming weeks, coupled with a win in the rivalry this weekend.

Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State on Friday in the Egg Bowl, while Alabama faces Auburn on Saturday in the annual Iron Bowl.

And last but not least: don’t count on No. 17 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference just yet. The Green Wave closes the regular season against Memphis on Thanksgiving and then takes on Army on December 6 for the conference championship.

If Tulane can win, they could potentially sneak into the 12-team playoff through the back door if absolute chaos ensues in the Big 12, where as many as nine teams still have a chance to win the conference championship. If Tulane were to rank higher than the eventual Big 12 champion, the Green Wave would crash the CFP while the Big 12 is snubbed.