Key Highlights
- The third College Football Playoff ranking release of the season pushed Oklahoma higher in the rankings.
- Alabama fell from its No. 4 position after losing to Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma gained three positions to slot into the No. 8 spot, behind Oregon and Mississippi.
- The final CFP rankings will be released on December 7th.
College Football Playoff Rankings Update: Oklahoma Ascends, Alabama Slips
The third College Football Playoff ranking release of the season, unveiled on November 18, brought some shifts in the top ten. Oklahoma’s performance against its rival Alabama saw it rise three spots to No. 8, a significant move considering the team’s previous standing at No. 11.
Key among the changes was Alabama’s fall from the No. 4 position to the No. 10 spot after losing to Oklahoma in Week 12. This loss has left many questioning the Crimson Tide’s prospects for a playoff berth, especially considering that they face Auburn next week, holding onto their last at-large bid.
Notably, Alabama’s drop has also affected the broader rankings.
Texas A&M, which was expected to maintain its position due to its perfect conference record, found itself in a precarious situation after Alabama’s loss. However, the Aggies managed to secure their spot by pulling off an impressive comeback against South Carolina.
The Impact on Playoff Scenarios
With these rankings, the College Football Playoff committee will now use them to seed all qualifying teams for the first-round games. The schedule is set with No. 5 Tulane hosting No. 12 Miami and No. 6 Mississippi facing No. 11 Alabama. The winners of these games will advance to the quarterfinals, with the Cotton Bowl hosting its matchup on December 31.
Final Rankings and Implications
The final College Football Playoff rankings are set for release on December 7th, just before the New Year’s Six bowl games. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals, with the Cotton Bowl hosting its game on January 8th and the Peach Bowl on January 9th. The championship game will be played in Miami Gardens, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19th.
These rankings not only impact the immediate playoff picture but also set the stage for potential matchups and seeding throughout the bowl season.
Teams vying for playoff spots must now navigate a challenging landscape with less certainty than previous weeks, making each game crucial in their quest to secure a spot in the final four.
The upcoming games will be pivotal as teams like Oklahoma, Alabama, and others look to solidify their positions while hoping for favorable matchups. The College Football Playoff committee’s decisions will continue to shape the narrative of this college football season until the final game is played on January 19th.
