What will the 2020 College Football Playoff top 25 rankings be when the third round is released on Tuesday night?
Just a few more of these to go, and this week should be relatively easy.
Remember, as always, the committee is giving its thoughts for right now, and not projecting for when the final rankings come out. Wait and see what happens after the conference championships, but for this week, there should be a whole lot of movement down low, a whole lot of new teams in the middle, and not much going on up top.
These are College Football Playoff ranking predictions. This isn’t how we’d do it – that’s what the CFN rankings are for – this is us projecting what they’ll be.
We’re trying to read the room.
College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction Top 25 Projection
25. Wisconsin Badgers 2-2
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 16
The Case For This Spot: There really isn’t any, other than that the defense is No. 1 in the nation in a few categories and the wins over Illinois and Michigan were totally dominant. This is the Not A Lot Of Other Options No. 25 token ranking.
Up Next: at Iowa
24. Liberty Flames 9-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: Not Ranked
The Case For This Spot: The only loss was to a decent NC State team by one in the final moments on a blocked kick. The wins over Virginia Tech and Syracuse aren’t great, but they’re stronger than what a whole lot of other teams on this list have done.
Up Next: Possible Bowl Game
23. NC State Wolfpack 8-3
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: Not Ranked
The Case For This Spot: It was a very quietly nice season with a four-game winning streak to close things out. The Wolfpack aren’t going to pass any eye test, but they handed Liberty its only loss, and they’ll get some great for a 44-41 fight against Miami.
Up Next: Possible Bowl Game
22. Texas Longhorns 6-3
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: Not Ranked
The Case For This Spot: 69-31 over Kansas State on the road. It was silly that the Longhorns were dropped out of the top 25 last week after a tight 23-20 loss to an Iowa State team that the committee loves with an undying passion, and now they’re back in after a blowout in Manhattan.
Up Next: at Kansas
21. North Carolina Tar Heels 7-3
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: Not Ranked
The Case For This Spot: There are warts. The loss to Florida State is unforgivable, and losing to Virginia hurts, but the committee’s version of the eye test should work, the performance against Notre Dame was solid, and there are enough wins to get the Heels just up against the top 20.
Up Next: at Miami
NEXT: Top 20 College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction
College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction Top 20 Projection
20. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 9-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 25
The Case For This Spot: This might be more of a wish than a projection – the Ragin’ Cajuns should be ranked ahead of Iowa State – with the only loss coming by three to Coastal Carolina. Ha ha ha … Louisiana ended the Appalachian State game with a rough landing, and there was a strange safety, but it did beat a strong team on the road 24-21.
Up Next: Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt Championship)
19. Tulsa Golden Hurricane 5-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 24
The Case For This Spot: The only loss was in the season opener to Oklahoma State 16-7 on the road, and there are just enough decent wins to move up in a week when a whole lot of teams got knocked out. The showdown this week against Cincinnati at home will be the program’s big chance to make a massive statement.
Up Next: Cincinnati
18. Colorado Buffaloes 4-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: Not Ranked
The Case For This Spot: There are only five unbeaten Power Five teams remaining. Colorado has been one of the best surprises of 2020 with more wins over teams that will likely finish with a winning record – UCLA, Stanford, San Diego State – than Ohio State can boast.
Up Next: Utah
17. BYU Cougars 9-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 13
The Case For This Spot: There’s going to be a certain level of respect from the committee for BYU making the last-moment decision to go across the country to face a dangerous Coastal Carolina, and there will be even more respect for the wonderful game the team played. However, now, there’s a win over Boise State, and that’s really about it.
Up Next: San Diego State
16. Iowa Hawkeyes 5-2
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 19
The Case For This Spot: It might not all look pretty, and the first 20 minutes or so against Illinois was rough, but the Hawkeyes are on a five-game winning streak after coming very, very, very close to beating both Purdue and Northwestern in close losses to start the season.
Up Next: Wisconsin
NEXT: Top 15 College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction
College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction Top 15 Projection
15. Northwestern Wildcats 5-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 14
The Case For This Spot: It’s a bit of a holding pattern ranking to keep the Wildcats in the top 15, but the 29-20 loss to Michigan State looks a whole lot worse now after the Spartans were blown out by Ohio State. The wins over Iowa and Wisconsin keep the Big Ten East champs in the top 15.
Up Next: Illinois
14. USC Trojans 4-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 20
The Case For This Spot: The Trojans came up with the performance everyone was waiting to see. The first three games were okay, and it took too much work to get by Arizona and Arizona State, but the first quarter against Washington State was breathtaking. The Trojans will be the high-rising story among the Power Five teams.
Up Next: at UCLA
13. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 10-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 18
The Case For This Spot: The ten wins are impressive, but handing Louisiana and BYU their only losses of the season – and with the win over Appalachian State, and the win over Kansas, and with five of its last seven wins over teams that will finish with a winning record, the committee will give the Chanticleers a massive boost.
Up Next: at Troy
12. Oklahoma Sooners 7-2
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 11
The Case For This Spot: It would be nice to see just a little bit more. Yeah, there were blowout wins over bad teams, but the 27-14 win over Baylor was a bit too much of a struggle. The ranking, though, doesn’t matter – the Sooners aren’t in the hunt for the playoff. They’ll go to a New Year’s Six game with a Big 12 Championship win, and won’t if they lose.
Up Next: at West Virginia
11. Georgia Bulldogs 6-2
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 8
The Case For This Spot: The big thing on the Georgia resumé is that it lost to Alabama and Florida. There aren’t an amazing wins – Auburn is as close as it gets – but the team really is good, it’s better now with JT Daniels at quarterback, and it’ll go to a New Year’s Six game if it beats Missouri and Vanderbilt.
Up Next: at Missouri
NEXT: Top Ten College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction
College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction Top 10 Projection
10. Indiana Hoosiers 6-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 11
The Case For This Spot: With BYU losing to Coastal Carolina, and with the Indiana 14-6 win over Wisconsin, the Hoosiers are not in the mix for a New Year’s Six bowl game with a win over Purdue. It’s the second-best team in the Big Ten – it rocked the Michigan State team 24-0 that beat Northwestern – and the CFP ranking will show it.
Up Next: Purdue
9. Miami Hurricanes 8-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 10
The Case For This Spot: Beating Duke is no big deal, but doing it 48-0 in the first game after missing the last several weeks is impressive. The College Football Playoff is realistically out now that Clemson beat Virginia Tech last week, but beat North Carolina, beat Georgia Tech, and go to – most likely – the Orange Bowl.
Up Next: North Carolina
8. Iowa State Cyclones 8-2
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 9
The Case For This Spot: West Virginia is pretty good. It came into the game against Iowa State with the Big 12’s best defense, a great coaching staff, and a solid offense, and it left Ames a 42-6 loser. Iowa State is on a five-game tear on the way to playing Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. Forgetting that the Cyclones should be ranked lower than Louisiana and Coastal Carolina, they’re going nowhere but up this week.
Up Next: Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship)
7. Cincinnati Bearcats 8-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 7
The Case For This Spot: There isn’t one. The Bearcats are going to be way, way, WAY over-ranked, missing a truly great win and struggling against a UCF team several weeks ago that’s fine, but isn’t the powerhouse of the previous few seasons.
Up Next: at Tulsa
6. Florida Gators 8-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 6
The Case For This Spot: The Gators will be cemented in their holding spot. The win over Tennessee was business-like, but hardly spectacular enough to boost into the top five. Their situation is simple – beat LSU, beat Alabama, go to the College Football Playoff. Go 1 of 2, and go to the – most likely – Orange Bowl.
Up Next: LSU
NEXT: Top Five First College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction
College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction Top 5 Projection
5. Texas A&M Aggies 7-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 5
The Case For This Spot: It’s not a sexy team, but it’s rock-solid, and it’s playing better. It has seven wins – all against SEC teams – it beat Florida, and the last five wins have all been by double-digits.
Up Next: Ole Miss
4. Ohio State Buckeyes 5-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 4
The Case For This Spot: In terms of resumé, there’s absolutely no case whatsoever for Ohio State to be in the top six, much less the top four. But the committee liked the Buckeyes enough last week to put them top four – based on nothing other than the always nebulous eye test – and they might put them up to No. 3 after an obliteration of a Michigan State team that beat Northwestern.
Up Next: Michigan
3. Clemson Tigers 9-1
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 3
The Case For This Spot: 42-17 over Miami. The committee will start to give more respect to Miami this week, and the blowout over the Canes will matter more and more – especially if the Canes beat North Carolina this week. Beating Pitt and Virginia Tech by a combined score of 97-27 with Trevor Lawrence back is enough to keep the Tigers at 3.
Up Next: Notre Dame (ACC Championship)
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 2
The Case For This Spot: Cemented in at the 2, the Fighting Irish now might be in the College Football Playoff as long as they don’t get annihilated by Clemson in the ACC Championship. The eye test wasn’t great against Syracuse, but whatever. Win one more game, go to the Rose Bowl. Lose that game close, and it’s likely off to the Sugar as long as Florida loses to …
Up Next: Clemson (ACC Championship)
1. Alabama Crimson Tide 9-0
Last Week College Football Playoff Ranking: 1
The Case For This Spot: Every week it seems like Alabama is overdue for a mediocre performance, and every week it rolls to a dominant win that’s over by halftime. Beat Arkansas with ease, and the Tide are in the College Football Playoff no matter what happens against Florida in the SEC Championship – short of a bizarre blowout.
Up Next: at Arkansas
