Week 13 was a relatively uneventful one, when compared to the some of the previous chaos we’ve seen in this college football season. No. 8 Ole Miss fell in a blowout to a surging Arkansas team, while No. 17 Utah, No. 19 USC, and No. 23 Nebraska each lost to another ranked team, but the top should remain stable for now.
College Football Playoff ranking predictions ahead of Rivalry Weekend
Tuesday night’s new Playoff committee top 25 will include plenty of moves and maybe a temporary change at the top, but the pack of contenders should have a few more days of peace.
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We’re starting to get a better idea of what the selection committee values as the season progresses, but some pretty significant questions still linger.
How far will the Rebels fall, and will their plummet drag down No. 1 Bama, which they’ve beaten? Will the Trojans, Utes, or Cornhuskers be able to stay on the list? Is this finally the week undefeated Marshall or another mid-major makes its appearance in the top 25? Can a team like Arizona make a big leap after the committee reviews its full body of work, thereby boosting Oregon?
Here’s a guess on what the committee will do Tuesday night, based on last week’s rankings and results and this week’s updated polls and computers. This all sets up a pretty mammoth slate of games in rivalry week. We’ve known all season the Iron Bowl and Egg Bowl would have big implications, but games like Arizona-Arizona State and Georgia-Georgia Tech also have even higher stakes than usual.
| Predicted Week 14 rank | Week 13 rank | Team | Record | Week 13 result | Record vs. new AP top 25 |
| ↑ 1 | 2 | Oregon | 10-1 | Won 44-10 vs. Colorado | 2-1 |
| ↓ 2 | 1 | Alabama | 10-1 | Won 48-14 vs. Western Carolina | 1-1 |
| 3 | 3 | Florida State | 10-0 | Won 20-17 vs. Boston College | 2-0 |
| 4 | 4 | Mississippi State | 10-1 | Won 51-0 vs. Vanderbilt | 1-1 |
| 5 | 5 | TCU | 9-1 | Bye | 3-1 |
| 6 | 6 | Ohio State | 10-1 | Won 42-27 vs. Indiana | 2-0 |
| 7 | 7 | Baylor | 9-1 | Won 49-28 vs. Oklahoma State | 2-0 |
| ↑ 8 | 9 | UCLA | 9-2 | Won 38-20 vs. No. 19 USC | 2-1 |
| ↑ 9 | 10 | Georgia | 9-2 | Won 55-9 vs. Charleston Southern | 3-0 |
| ↑ 10 | 11 | Michigan State | 9-2 | Won 45-3 vs. Rutgers | 0-2 |
| ↑ 11 | 12 | Kansas State | 8-2 | Won 26-20 at West Virginia | 1-2 |
| ↑ 12 | 15 | Arizona | 9-2 | Won 42-10 at No. 17 Utah | 1-1 |
| ↑ 13 | 14 | Auburn | 8-3 | Won 31-7 vs. Samford | 2-2 |
| ↓ 14 | 13 | Arizona State | 9-2 | Won 52-31 vs. Washington State | 0-1 |
| ↓ 15 | 8 | Ole Miss | 8-3 | Lost 30-0 at Arkansas | 2-1 |
| ↑ 16 | 18 | Georgia Tech | 9-2 | Bye | 1-0 |
| ↓ 17 | 16 | Wisconsin | 9-2 | Won 26-24 at Iowa | 0-0 |
| ↑ 18 | 20 | Missouri | 9-2 | Won 29-21 at Tennessee | 0-1 |
| ↑ 19 | 21 | Oklahoma | 8-3 | Won 44-7 vs. Kansas | 0-3 |
| ↑ 20 | 22 | Clemson | 8-3 | Won 28-0 vs. Georgia State | 1-3 |
| ↑ 21 | 25 | Minnesota | 8-3 | Won 28-24 at No. 23 Nebraska | 0-2 |
| ↑ 22 | 24 | Louisville | 8-3 | Won 31-28 at Notre Dame | 0-2 |
| ↓ 23 | 17 | Utah | 7-4 | Lost 42-10 vs. No. 15 Arizona | 1-3 |
| ? | Not ranked | Arkansas | 6-5 | Won 30-0 vs. No. 8 Ole Miss | 1-4 |
| ? | Not ranked | Boise State | 9-2 | Won 63-14 at Wyoming | 1-1 |
| ? | Not ranked | Colorado State | 10-1 | Won 58-20 vs. New Mexico | 0-1 |
| ? | Not ranked | LSU | 7-4 | Bye | 2-3 |
| ? | Not ranked | Marshall | 11-0 | Won 23-18 at UAB | 0-0 |
| ? | Not ranked | Maryland | 7-4 | Won 23-16 at Michigan | 0-3 |
| ? | Not ranked | Texas A&M | 7-4 | Bye | 1-4 |
| ↓ ? | 19 | USC | 7-4 | Lost 38-20 at No. 9 UCLA | 1-2 |
| ↓ Not ranked | 23 | Nebraska | 8-3 | Lost 28-24 vs. No. 25 Minnesota | 0-3 |
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