There have been significant changes in the latest set. College Football Playoff RankingsHow Texas A&M dropped out of the top four to seventh place after losing to Texas on the last full weekend of the regular season. Aggie fall cleared Texas Tech climb into the top four to 4th place.
Georgia also moved up one place and took 3rd place, while Ohio And Indiana remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. However, that wasn't the only notable development in the ratings on Tuesday.
Our Lady fell one place to 10th place after several weeks in ninth place. Alabama swept the Fighting Irish after finishing the season with a narrow 27-20 victory over their in-state rival. Auburn. The Crimson Tide can cement their status in Saturday's SEC championship game against Georgia, while Notre Dame, as an independent, made its final impression on the selection committee in Week 14.
It's like Ole Miss will not affect coach Lane Kiffin's departure LSU. The Rebels are still ranked sixth, giving them home-field advantage in the projected College Football Playoff bracket. Keeping most of the remaining coaching staff in place until the end of the postseason has, at the very least, likely improved Ole Miss' prospects.
Tulane remained the highest-ranked Group of Five school at 20th, which would give the Green Wave a 12th place finish in the projected group. Virginia will sit in 11th place if he can handle business against Duke in the ACC Championship game.
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James Madison made its debut in the College Football Playoff rankings after finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record and a 59-10 win over the team. Coastal Carolina. The Dukes, undefeated in conference play, will face Troy in the Sun Belt Conference championship game on Friday. This is a potentially huge place for Dukes.
They will need help, but there is a path to the playoffs. If Virginia loses in the ACC Championship Game, it would presumably open up one of five automatic bids. It's hard to imagine a five-loss Duke team beating the likes of James Madison.
So, there is a scenario in which two Group of Five teams make the College Football Playoff. The American Conference winner is projected to be either No. 20 Tulane or No. 24 North Texas — will receive an automatic bid no matter what happens.
College Football Playoff Rankings Reaction: Why James Madison being ranked 25th could spell disaster for the ACC
Shehan Jiyaraja
Notre Dame on the ropes?
Although Notre Dame dropped just one spot to No. 10, this is a significant development. This means the Fighting Irish are now the last team to take the field with a big stake. This is bubble territory.
With Notre Dame out of the conference title game this week, it technically no longer has control over its destiny. The Fighting Irish are likely rooting for No. 4 Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship game. If No. 11 BYU wins the Big 12 title, there's a good chance it will unseat Notre Dame as the champion, while Texas Tech will fall into first place, leaving no room for the Fighting Irish.
