Georgia is number one.
On November 14.
Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, the two-time defending national champions, rose back to the top of the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, where a lot of people thought was their rightful spot, anyway – not because of what they had done the last two seasons, but because of their recent performance, as opposed to the recent performance of Ohio State, who had struggled last week against Rutgers early-on, while the Bulldogs had held off once-beaten Missouri and then dominated a one-loss Ole Miss team just last Saturday.
Turns out the CFP committee saw things that way, as well.
On the rankings reveal show on Tuesday night on ESPN, between the conclusion of Duke-Michigan State men’s basketball game and the tip-off of Kentucky-Kansas game, Rece Davis and company welcomed Boo Corrigan, chairman of the committee, and also the athletic director of North Carolina State University.
Corrigan when asked by Davis why Georgia vaulted Ohio State and moved up to number one:
“I think you look at the game, the win last week over Missouri, and the Mississippi game, was tied at 14-all, and they go on a 38-3 run, and kind of showed their dominance, both on offense and on defense,” Corrigan told Davis, “against strong Mississippi offense. In looking at it, the resume, and everything combined, we thought Georgia was the number one team this week.”
For the record, the top five in the rankings was as follows: Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State, and Washington, all undefeated.
On the debate of Florida State’s strength of schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference versus what Washington has faced and is facing in the Pac-12, here was Corrigan’s answer:
“Florida State is really good offensively, and has been really good defensively,” Corrigan said. “Don’t undersell the Miami-Florida State rivalry, as well. That’s been going on for years. Miami hit a big play for that touchdown in the second half when we thought Florida State was the dominant team in there. Washington continues to win. Really good defensive second half against Utah. As we looked at it and evaluated it, as y’all can appreciate it, the debate is getting stronger every week, as we get more and more data points going through this, but we ended up with Florida State at four and Washington at five.”
Davis asked Corrigan how he would characterize being undefeated against a good schedule as opposed to having a loss against a stronger one.
“Again, as we’re building this, right, in week 11, we’re going to look at everything that’s happened to date – where they’re playing, etcetera – but winning matters. We talk about it every year as we go into this. Winning games matters, a lot of really good teams. The top eight didn’t change, as far as the actual teams in there. There was just a little bit of shifting. To y’all’s point earlier, the head-to-head does matter.”
Oregon, whose only loss came to Washington by a single point earlier this season, is ranked sixth. One-loss Texas is No. 7, followed by Alabama, whose only loss came at home to Texas and is No. 8. Missouri, the only two-loss team in the top 10, is ranked ninth, and Louisville is No. 10.
Check out the rest of the rankings below.
Several of the top 10 will play each other. Michigan and Ohio State still have their annual meeting on Saturday, Nov. 25. Alabama still has to face rival Auburn, in Auburn, on Nov. 25, and then faces Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game on Dec. 2. Georgia has to play at Tennessee this Saturday in Knoxville, faces rival Georgia Tech, and then Alabama in the SEC title game. Washington will have the Pac-12 title game, likely a rematch with Oregon, and Texas will have the Big 12 title game, and who knows who that’ll be – Oklahoma? Kansas State?
There’s a ton of football to be played, a lot to be decided.
Or as Emilo Estevez said so wryly as Billy the Kid on 1988’s “Young Guns”…
“…There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.”
In case you’d like to know who assigned the teams these lovely rankings, here are the rest of the 13 people joining Corrigan on this year’s College Football Playoff committee, and a little bit about each one, followed by the rankings.
- Chris Ault, retired former football coach and athletic director at the University of Nevada, having served three stints there (1976-92, 1994-95, and 2004-12; moved the Wolf Pack from Division II to Division I-AA in ’78, then to Division I-A in ’92. Ault created the pistol offense, implementing it there in 2005, and is a 2022 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.
- Mitch Barnhart, the current University of Kentucky Athletic Director. Recently completed his fifth year as a member of the NCAA men’s basketball committee and was chair of the committee for the 2021 men’s tournament. He’s also a former chair of SEC Athletic Directors (2017), was named athletic director of the year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019, and is also a former AD at Oregon State (1998-2002).
- Chet Gladchuk, Athletic Director, U.S. Naval Academy. Former director of intramurals and recreation at Boston College (1990-97). Former AD at the University of Houston and Tulane University. Won the National Football Foundation’s John L. Toner Award (recognizes an AD who has shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and demonstrated administrative abilities). Selected to serve on the NCAA Leadership Council (helps to set the D-I legislative agenda and advises the NCAA on major legislative issues.
- Jim Grobe, former head coach at Baylor, Wake Forest, Ohio. Named ACC and national coach of the year by the AP and Sporting News in 2006 (Wake Forest). Played at the University of Virginia in 1973 and 1974.
- Mark Harlan, University of Utah Athletic Director. In his tenure, Utes have won four national championships (in skiing) and 24 conference championships. Was named the AD of the Year by National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors in 2023. Former AD at the University of South Florida. Served on the Division I Football Oversight Committee.
- Warde Manuel, athletic director, University of Michigan. Former AD at UConn (2012-16), where he was named the NACDA Under Armor Athletic Director of the Year in 2015.
- David Sayler, Athletic Director, Miami-Ohio, since 2013. Former South Dakota AD (2010-13). Former Ernst & Young executive and has held athletic administration experience at Rice, Oregon State, Bowling Green, Houston, Hartford, Georgia and UConn.
- Will Shields, former NFL offensive guard, starting 231 consecutive games for the Kansas City Chiefs. Was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2011) and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2015). Was the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2003. Former Nebraksa standout.
- Gene Taylor, AD, Kansas State. Former AD at North Dakota State (2001-14) and former deputy director of athletics at Iowa (2014-17). Lengthy tenure at Navy as administrative assistant in athletics (1986-2001).
- Joe Taylor, former head coach at Florida A&M, Hampton, Virginia Union, and Howard. Won four Black college national championships, and has a record of 233-96-4. Member of the College Football Hall of Fame (2019) and the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2020).
- Rod West, Group President, Utility Operations for Entergy Corporation. Past President of the AllState Sugar Bowl. Member of board of directors for the National Football Foundation. Former linebacker and tight end at Notre Dame, a part of the national championship team in 1988.
- Kelly Whiteside, professor, Montclair University. Former USA Today national college football writer who also covered seven Olympic Games, the NFL, other pro leagues and major college sports. Former reporter at Newsday and Sports Illustrated. Was the first female president of the Football Writers Association of America.
Here are the rankings, with this weekend’s games included (all times Central Standard time)…
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS (released Tuesday, November 14):
| 1. Georgia (10-0); Next: at Tennessee, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS | 25 |
| 2. Ohio State (10-0); Next: Minnesota, Saturday, 3 p.m., Big Ten Network | 24 |
| 3. Michigan (10-0); Next: at Maryland, Saturday, 11 a.m., FOX | 23 |
| 4. Florida State (10-0); Next: North Alabama, Saturday, 5:30 p.m., CW Network | 22 |
| 5. Washington (10-0); Next: at No. 11 Oregon State, 6:30 p.m., ABC | 21 |
| 6. Oregon (9-1); Next: at Arizona State, Saturday, 3 p.m., FOX | 20 |
| 7. Texas (9-1); Next: at Iowa State, Saturday, 7 p.m., FOX | 19 |
| 8. Alabama (9-1); Next: Chattanooga, Saturday, 11 a.m., SEC Network | 18 |
| 9. Missouri (8-2); Next: Florida, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN | 17 |
| 10. Louisville (9-1); Next: at Miami, Saturday, 11 a.m., ABC | 16 |
| 11. Oregon State (8-2); Next: Washington, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ABC | 15 |
| 12. Penn State (8-2); Next: Rutgers, Saturday, 11 a.m., Fox Sports 1 | 14 |
| 13. Ole Miss (8-2); Next: Louisiana Monroe, Saturday, 11 a.m., SEC Network Alternate | 13 |
| 14. Oklahoma (8-2); Next: at BYU, Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN | 12 |
| 15. LSU (7-3); Next: Georgia State, Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN2 | 11 |
| 16. Iowa (8-2); Next: Illinois, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 | 10 |
| 17. Arizona (7-3); Next: at No. 22 Utah, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network | 9 |
| 18. Tennessee (7-3); Next: No. 1 Georgia, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS | 8 |
| 19. Notre Dame (7-3); Next: Wake Forest, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., NBC | 7 |
| 20. North Carolina (8-2); Next: at Clemson, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN | 6 |
| 21. Kansas State (7-3); Next: at Kansas, Saturday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1 | 5 |
| 22. Utah (7-3); Next: at No. 17 Arizona, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network | 4 |
| 23. Oklahoma State (7-3); Next: at Houston, Saturday, 3 p.m., ESPN2 | 3 |
| 24. Tulane (9-1); Next: at Florida Atlantic, Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN+ | 2 |
| 25. Kansas (7-3); Next: No. 21 Kansas State, Saturday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1 | 1 |
