By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer
Ohio State (9-0) remained No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, with Georgia (9-0), Michigan (9-0) and Florida State (9-0) following the Buckeyes, as the selection committee stood pat with its top eight teams.
Washington (9-0) was fifth, followed by Pac-12 rival Oregon (8-1), Texas (8-1) and Alabama (8-1) at eighth.
Only one of the top 11 teams in last week’s first CFP rankings lost last weekend. Oklahoma (7-2) dropped from ninth to 17th after losing to Oklahoma State (7-2). The Cowboys moved up to 15th.
Ohio State was trailing at halftime at Rutgers, before pulling away, and that was enough to keep the Buckeyes atop the rankings.
“They continue to play well,” CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan said on the rankings release show on ESPN. “Really physical team. (Running back) TreVeyon Henderson being back, going for over 100 yards the last two games helps them overall, with their top five defense as well.”
This weekend sets up as one with the potential to shake up the top four, with Georgia and Michigan both facing their highest-ranked opponents so far.
The Bulldogs host Mississippi (8-1), the committee’s ninth-ranked team. The Wolverines visit Penn State (8-1), which is 10th.
The Bulldogs have the opportunity for two top 15 wins in a row, after beating No. 14 Missouri (7-2) last week. For Michigan, this is the first opportunity all season to play a ranked opponent, and that would help boost its resume – as the Wolverines have the No. 111 ranked strength of schedule according to ESPN.
Washington also faces a ranked team, with No. 18 Utah (7-2), coming to Seattle on Saturday.
Though Alabama beat LSU, 42-28, last weekend, the Tigers (6-3) remained in the Top 25 as the highest-ranked three-loss team at No. 19. Notre Dame, another three-loss team, also stayed in the Top 25 at No. 20 after a loss to Clemson.
“You want as many opinions, as you can, to come out to what we think is the right answer,” Corrigan said. “We’re in Week 10 right now, and based on Week 10, we’re making what we feel are the best decisions.”
Texas appears to be the only hope for the Big 12 after Oklahoma’s loss to Oklahoma State, but the Longhorns would need to win out and get some help to have any shot at making it into the top four.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day, in his weekly news conference on Tuesday, was asked about rankings and how his program approaches the release each Tuesday night.
“I think you have so many guys on our team that have just kind of been through all of this before, and they know it means absolutely nothing, and their goal is to win the whole thing and to be the Number 1 team at the end of the year,” Day said. “We want to win them all, and that’s all that matters. At the end, they’ll rank us, but we’re just going to try to win them all and it continues this Saturday.”
The Pac-12 still has five teams in the rankings, but USC (7-3) and UCLA (6-3) have fallen out after losses and Arizona (6-3) – which defeated the Bruins in Tucson on Saturday – moved into the mix at No. 21. The Wildcats, making their first CFP rankings appearance since 2017, have three straight wins against teams that were ranked at the time they played.
For the second time in as many weeks on the show, Corrigan was asked about the committee’s stance on the investigation into Michigan’s sign stealing, and how – or if – it comes up in conversations.
“Not to be repetitive, (but) our mission, as a committee, is to judge the teams that are eligible for the postseason,” Corrigan said. “This is not a CFP committee issue.”
The lowest-ranked team from a Power Five conference with one loss is No. 11 Louisville (8-1) out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. A two-loss team has never made the four-team playoff, which is expanding to 12 teams next year.
Tulane remains the highest-ranked team from outside the Power Five conferences at 23rd. Then-No. 24 Air Force lost to Army last weekend. The committee’s highest-ranked champion from the so-called Group of Five conferences receives a bid to one of the New Year’s Six bowls.
The CFP semifinals will be played in the Rose and Sugar bowls on Jan. 1. The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 8 in Houston.
News services contributed to this story.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS
Results of the second College Football Playoff rankings for the 2023 season (Nov. 7).
1. Ohio State (9-0)
2. Georgia (9-0)
3. Michigan (9-0)
4. Florida State (9-0)
5. Washington (9-0)
6. Oregon (8-1)
7. Texas (8-1)
8. Alabama (8-1)
9. Ole Miss (8-1)
10. Penn State (8-1)
11. Louisville (8-1)
12. Oregon State (7-2)
13. Tennessee (7-2)
14. Missouri (7-2)
15. Oklahoma State (7-2)
16. Kansas (7-2)
17. Oklahoma (7-2)
18. Utah (7-2)
19. LSU (6-3)
20. Notre Dame (7-3)
21. Arizona (6-3)
22. Iowa (7-2)
23. Tulane (8-1)
24. North Carolina (7-2)
25. Kansas State (6-3)
