With Georgia now the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, the biggest debate for the selection committee in its second ranking was at No. 4, where undefeated TCU earned the spot ahead of one-loss No. 5 Tennessee following the Vols’ loss to Georgia on Saturday.
No. 2 Ohio State was joined by No. 3 Michigan, setting up a top-four showdown between the two rivals in a regular-season finale that will determine the Big Ten’s best hope for a semifinalist. At No. 6, one-loss Oregon remains the Pac-12’s top contender, but the league has four teams in the top 13, including No. 8 USC and No. 12 UCLA which could also finish as one-loss conference champions.
This ranking wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it provided more clues as to what could happen on Selection Day:
With No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan still having to face each other, and Tennessee likely to run the table and finish 11-1, there will be an opportunity for some controversy. The Vols end the regular season against unranked opponents Mizzou (4-5), South Carolina (6-3) and Vanderbilt (3-6). With Tennessee ahead of No. 6 Oregon, it sets the stage for what could be an extremely lengthy debate in the committee meeting room if Tennessee finishes 11-1 and Oregon finishes as a one-loss Pac-12 champion. They both lost to Georgia — and it wasn’t pretty for either of them.
It wouldn’t be the first time an SEC team finished in the top four without winning its division. In 2017, Alabama started 11-0 but lost its last game to rival Auburn. It also happened in the Big Ten in 2016, when Ohio State finished in the top four without winning its division. Tennessee is currently No. 2 in ESPN’s strength of record metric and No. 2 in strength of schedule. It has two of the best wins in the country, against Alabama and at LSU. Only once has the CFP committee snubbed a one-loss SEC team — when No. 5 Texas A&M was left out in 2020.
It’s not unprecedented, but it’s certainly not easy to finish in the top four without a conference title. Right now, the committee thinks Tennessee is the better team, but a conference championship against a ranked opponent could give Oregon the push it needs, along with regular-season wins against No. 13 Utah and now No. 25 Washington.
The margin for error is slim, but No. 4 TCU controls its playoff path
An undefeated TCU is in. One loss, though, and the Frogs could be looking up at the Pac-12 champion and/or Tennessee. By putting TCU in the top four this week, the committee showed its willingness to do so on Selection Day if TCU can remain unscathed — especially considering the Frogs have the No. 1 remaining schedule strength in the country. They could add to their résumé Saturday with a win at Texas, which is now the committee’s No. 18 team, and they end the season with games at Baylor and at home against Iowa State. ESPN’s FPI projects TCU will lose its back-to-back road games, though, which would eliminate the Frogs and the entire Big 12 from the mix.
LSU holds the key to SEC chaos
At No. 7, LSU is exactly where it was expected to be — the committee’s highest-ranked two-loss team, but still behind No. 5 Tennessee because of the Oct. 8 head-to-head result. That doesn’t mean, though, that two-loss LSU can’t or won’t move up. If the Tigers somehow run the table and beat Georgia to win the SEC, they would likely become the first two-loss team in the CFP. Then the selection committee would also have a 12-1 Georgia team to consider as the SEC runner-up, and the 11-1 Vols who hammered the SEC champs 40-13 in Baton Rouge during the regular season.
So then what?
It would depend in large part on what happened in the other Power 5 conference championship games. It’s a stretch to imagine the committee would really take three SEC teams, but if two-loss Utah wins the Pac-12, the Big 12 has a two-loss conference champion, and the loser of Ohio State-Michigan is beaten soundly, it’s not impossible. Especially considering the poor shape the ACC is in …
The ACC is in the worst shape of the Power 5 conferences
Clemson‘s loss at Notre Dame was devastating, as the Tigers sank to No. 10, but that wasn’t the only casualty. Clemson was banking on wins against Syracuse and Wake Forest to impress the committee — and it was enough last week — but both of those teams dropped out of the Top 25 on Tuesday after they suffered their third losses. Clemson’s best win is now against No. 16 NC State. Even at No. 10, there are enough other contenders ahead of them — and even behind them in the Pac-12 — that have more opportunities to leap the Tigers. With the win, though, Notre Dame was ranked at No. 20 this week, which is a boost for Ohio State’s résumé, and could also help USC down the stretch.
No. 17 Tulane and No. 22 UCF could be playing for a New Year’s Six bowl.
The two best teams in the American Athletic Conference face each other on Saturday. The highest-ranked conference champion from the Group of 5 is guaranteed to earn a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl, so the winner of Saturday’s game will take the lead for that spot. — Heather Dinich
Anger index
The initial committee rankings are bound to anger some fan bases, but they also set a stage for what’s to come. They offer a window into the committee’s perceptions, which allows every fan base to have an inkling of where the chips might fall in subsequent rankings. So when it comes to the second top 25, it’s less about who’s being snubbed and more about how the committee applies new logic to teams that defies the explanations offered just a week earlier.
In other words, this week’s Anger Index is all about context. The committee may have loved you a week ago, but now, you’re just another team with a few axes to grind.
So, who’s angry after the second set of rankings?
1. Clemson Tigers (8-1)
The loss to Notre Dame was ugly, that much is clear. And Clemson has some big questions on offense right now. But the Tigers were good enough to be No. 4 a week ago, good enough that Notre Dame’s win moved the Irish from unranked into the top 20, and good enough that they’re still the clear favorite to win the ACC. So, why drop Clemson all the way to No. 10?
Here’s a quick comparison:
Team A: No. 8 strength of record, four wins over FPI top-40 teams, 9.4 points per game margin vs. Power 5, two one-possession wins over currently unranked teams, 29th in offensive efficiency, 26th in defensive efficiency
Team B: No. 10 strength of record, one win over FPI top-40 teams, 8.9 points per game margin vs. Power 5, three one-possession wins over currently unranked teams, second in offensive efficiency, 76th in defensive efficiency
You can probably guess that Team A is Clemson. Team B? That’s USC, ranked two spots higher despite its best win coming by three over Oregon State. For as bad as Clemson looked against Notre Dame, it still has wins over NC State, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Florida State.
Yes, the Notre Dame loss is the most recent data point, but the committee is supposed to differ from things like the AP poll by starting fresh each week, evaluating the resume as a whole — not just giving more weight to the thing they saw most recently.
And let’s also be clear about that Notre Dame loss. It was an implosion by Clemson more than it was a true drubbing by Notre Dame. The Irish got a touchdown on special teams, a pick six and another TD following an interception deep in Clemson territory.
The fact is, Clemson’s offense is a bit of a mess right now. But is that so much more concerning than a USC defense that just gave up 35 to Cal? Or an Alabama defense that couldn’t stop LSU in crunch time? Or an LSU team with one more loss (including to a Florida State team that Clemson beat)?
No one in Clemson should be feeling good right now. There’s much work to be done to right the ship. But this feels like an overcorrection that’s looking entirely at the final score of the most recent game and ignoring all the things the committee liked about the Tigers a week earlier.
2. UCLA Bruins (8-1)
There is one Pac-12 team that is clearly better than UCLA, and that’s Oregon. The Ducks beat UCLA convincingly in Eugene on Oct. 22. So we understand why Oregon is ranked higher. But six spots higher? With USC somehow in between?
UCLA beat Utah. USC lost to Utah. USC is ranked higher than UCLA. Make that make sense. You can’t.
Even Utah, which was drubbed by the Bruins and has one more loss, is just one spot behind UCLA. Is the Cal university board slipping a few sawbucks to the committee just to spite UCLA for its move to the Big Ten? Otherwise, there’s simply no cause to have the Bruins as the second-lowest ranked one-loss Power 5 team.
3. Tennessee Volunteers (8-1)
Let’s get this straight. A week ago, Tennessee was the best team in the country with easily the best resume. Then the Vols go to Georgia, lose to the new No. 1 team in weather that did little to help Hendon Hooker and the offense, and suddenly they’re No. 5? Meanwhile, ahead of Tennessee in the pecking order is TCU, which jumped from seven to four, despite struggling to get past Texas Tech. Ohio State jumped Tennessee even though the Buckeyes looked bad against woeful Northwestern. Michigan, too, jumped Tennessee despite losing to Rutgers at the half.
ESPN’s strength of record still says Tennessee is the second-best team in the country. Just because the Volunteers happened to run into the juggernaut that is Georgia shouldn’t negate all that came before. Just ask Oregon.
4. Liberty Flames (8-1)
A failed two-point conversion against Wake Forest (who was ranked just a week ago) is the only blemish on Liberty’s resume. Last week, they went to Fayetteville and beat Arkansas (aren’t SEC wins supposed to count double?). The Flames have solid wins over Southern Miss, UAB and BYU, too. And so the question must be asked: What does Hugh Freeze need to do to sweeten the deal enough to get Liberty ranked?
Kansas has two wins over FPI top-40 teams. That’s the same number as Florida State and Kentucky. Kansas beat Oklahoma State. Texas did not. Oh, and we all know what happened the last time Kansas and Texas faced off head-to-head. The committee doesn’t need to care about bottom few teams in the top-25, so let’s enjoy the ride, folks. Rank Kansas. It’s the right thing to do. — David Hale
How a 12-team playoff would look
Everyone with the power to expand the College Football Playoff wants the field to grow to 12 teams in time for the 2024 season.
But currently, expansion is scheduled to begin in 2026. So while discussions continue on how to move up the timeline, we’re taking a look at how a 12-team playoff would look today based on the already-determined model released by the commissioners and presidents.
The field will be composed of the selection committee’s six highest-ranked conference champions and its next six highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn the top seeds and a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds on campus or at another site of their choice.
Here’s what the playoff would look like if the 12-team format were in place today:
Seeds with byes
1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Oregon
Remaining seeds (conference champs in bold)
5. Michigan 6. Tennessee 7. LSU 8. USC 9. Alabama 10. Clemson 11. Ole Miss 12. Tulane
Tennessee‘s Nico Iamaleava has been cleared medically to play Saturday against Georgia and is set to return as the Vols’ starting quarterback, sources told ESPN.
Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman, missed the second half of the 33-14 win over Mississippi State last week after suffering a blow to the head. He was listed as questionable earlier this week on the SEC availability report but has been removed in the latest report.
Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, and there was optimism among the staff that he was trending in the right direction and would be able to play. But the final call was made by medical personnel. Iamaleava was examined by doctors for what sources told ESPN were concussion-like symptoms after leaving the Mississippi State game. He did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Monday that he felt like Iamaleava would be in “great shape for Saturday” and noted that Iamaleava was with the team earlier Monday morning for meetings and team activities. The Vols’ first full-scale practice was Tuesday.
Iamaleava was having his most productive outing against an SEC team this season before leaving the game against Mississippi State. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 174 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns as Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead. In Iamaleava’s previous five SEC games, he had accounted for three touchdowns and turned it over five times. He was also sacked 15 times in those five games.
Redshirt senior Gaston Moore filled in for Iamaleava in the second half last week and finished 5-of-8 for 38 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Getting Iamaleava back for the Georgia game is big news for Tennessee, which is right in the middle of the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Receiver Dont’e Thornton (hand) has also been given the green light to play for Tennessee after earlier being listed as questionable.
Week 12 is here as we take a look at an SEC matchup that has College Football Playoff implications, learn about three of the nation’s top passers who all played under the same coach and see what’s going on in the Big 12.
No. 7 Tennessee will visit Sanford Stadium as it takes on conference opponent No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night. With so much at stake, what can each team improve on ahead of this SEC showdown?
The Big 12 has six teams in the hunt for a spot in the conference title game. With the final CFP rankings coming out in less than a month, what scenario looks most realistic for the conference in terms of how many of its teams could make the 12-team field?
Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 12 slate.
It has been a historic (and dominant) season for Tennessee’s defense, which has yet to give up more than 19 points in any of its nine games. Against SEC competition, the Volunteers lead the conference in scoring defense, giving up 16.7 points per game, and also lead the way in third-down defense and red zone defense. In other words, they’ve given up very little of anything on defense and are buoyed by a line that’s both talented and deep. Tennessee plays a ton of players up front and has been especially good at forcing key turnovers. In 23 trips inside its own 20-yard line, the Vols have forced six turnovers.
The reality is that Tennessee has played to its defense for much of this season out of necessity. The offense has lacked consistency and struggled to generate explosive plays, particularly in the passing game. It’s not all on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, either. Iamaleava has thrown only five touchdown passes in six SEC games, and the Vols are tied for 10th with an average of 7.5 yards per completion. Iamaleava, who sustained a head injury in a win over Mississippi State last week, has been the victim of poor pass protection at times, and his receivers have dropped some costly passes. Iamaleava has also been shaky when it comes to overthrowing receivers and occasionally holding onto the ball too long.
The bright spot on offense for Tennessee has been running back Dylan Sampson, who has a school-record 20 rushing touchdowns. He has been a constant for the Vols on offense and has an SEC-leading 772 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in conference play. As good as he has been, the Vols are probably going to need more from their passing game to win in Athens. — Chris Low
The Bulldogs didn’t do much of anything well in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, which was the first time in a long time that Kirby Smart’s team was manhandled on the lines of scrimmage.
The good news for Georgia: It’s heading home to Sanford Stadium for the first time in more than a month. Georgia hasn’t dropped back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, Smart’s first season, and it has bounced back after each of its past eight losses. The Bulldogs have won seven of their past eight games against the Volunteers.
For all of quarterback Carson Beck‘s turnovers, Georgia’s problems on offense probably start up front. The offensive line hasn’t done a good job of protecting him, and the Bulldogs’ lack of a potent running game has prevented them from effectively utilizing play-action passes. Their banged-up offensive line is going to face another formidable defensive front Saturday. Georgia has 27 dropped passes, fourth most in the FBS, according to TruMedia, so its receivers need to become more reliable as well. — Mark Schlabach
The coach behind three of college football’s top passers
North Texas coach Eric Morris coached Ward at Incarnate Word and Washington State, recruited Mateer to the Cougars and signed Morris out of the transfer portal this offseason. All three hailed from Texas and are putting up big numbers this season. Morris, a Mike Leach disciple, knows what he’s looking for when it comes to QBs.
For each one, the journey was different. Ward was a zero-star recruit out of West Columbia, Texas, played in a wing-T offense and had no scholarship offers. But he showed up to Incarnate Word’s camp in 2019 and impressed with his quick release and accuracy. Morris saw appealing traits, too, in Ward’s multisport talents.
“He was such a good basketball player,” Morris said. “He was a bigger guy who could really handle the ball and move with ease. He had a twitch and quickness about him that was almost Mahomes-esque, where he’s not fast but you see him get out of the pocket and scramble and he’s nifty on his feet. He saw the floor great and shot the basketball great.
“It might be easier at an FCS school to take that risk, but it was something we were really confident in.”
Ward came in with extreme confidence, telling coaches he’d win the starting job over their returning all-conference player (and he did). He followed Morris to Pullman, Washington, out of loyalty to the coach who believed in him. Now he’s playing on a big stage, chasing a College Football Playoff bid and a Heisman Trophy with the No. 9 Hurricanes.
“It’s been fun to watch him flourish and get rewarded for being patient all these years,” Morris said.
When Morris left UIW to become Washington State’s offensive coordinator in 2022, he brought Ward but needed another QB. On his first recruiting trip in Texas, he stopped by to check out Mateer. The two-star recruit had a prolific senior season at Little Elm High School but was committed to Central Arkansas. Morris didn’t understand what FBS programs were missing and convinced Mateer to flip.
After two seasons behind Ward, Mateer has emerged as one of the top dual-threat QBs in college football with 2,332 passing yards, 805 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and 33 total TDs.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” Ward said. “He’s just so dang hard to tackle in the open field. Just a kid that loves ball and was under-recruited. The tide’s turned and he ends up being a big-time ballplayer.”
Chandler Morris was not an under-the-radar talent, but he’s having his best season yet at North Texas. He began his career at Oklahoma, won the starting job at TCU in 2022, sustained a knee injury in its season opener and then watched Max Duggan lead the Horned Frogs to the national title game.
Morris had a six-game stint as TCU’s starter last season before injuring the same knee. At UNT, he’s leading the nation’s No. 3 passing offense with 3,244 total yards and 30 TDs. Like Ward and Mateer, he processes information quickly, makes plays with his feet and throws outside the pocket with accuracy. If you ask Eric Morris, those traits are a must in today’s game. When paired with his version of Air Raid ball, you get big-time results.
“It’s been fun to see him get his swagger back,” Morris said.
Eric Morris points to Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. The QBs thriving at the highest level are becoming unstoppable by creating plays out of the pocket. And so are his guys.
“Everybody obviously watches Cam and the magic he makes,” Morris said, “but I think all three of ’em can make plays when it’s not a perfect play call. There are a bunch of really good pure passers nowadays, but that’s what sets them all apart.” — Max Olson
What’s going on in the Big 12?
Two-thirds of the way through the Big 12 schedule, six teams are still in the hunt for a title-game appearance: BYU (6-0), Colorado (5-1), Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia, all of which are 4-2. There are too many variables to discuss all the scenarios, but the conference has a straightforward tiebreaker policy.
It’s possible to come up with scenarios in which the Big 12 could get two bids, one bid or shut out altogether.
For the Big 12 to get two bids, BYU probably would have to finish 12-0, then lose a close game in the championship to a two-loss team (Colorado, Iowa State or Kansas State). A 12-1 BYU team would get consideration, but it would become a question of how far it would fall and what else happens around the country.
The most likely scenario is the Big 12 will get one team in: whichever one wins the conference title game. If BYU wins out, it will have a bye, but if it slips up even once — or if another team wins the title — Boise State might be in position to get a first-round bye, assuming the Broncos win out.
The doomsday scenario in the Big 12 is if the conference champion has two or three losses and Army and Boise State win out. If that’s the case, there is a good possibility both of those schools would be ranked ahead of the Big 12 champion and the Big 12 would be left out. — Kyle Bonagura
Quotes of the Week
“They’re stubborn, man. They’re physical. He is an elite runner. The runs they run are sometimes nontraditional. They run some runs that other people don’t run because of the space in the box. He’s very patient. He hits small creases. He’s hard to tackle. How many touchdowns has he got in the SEC? Twenty-something? That’s crazy. In the SEC? The SEC is the hardest league in the world to run the ball in on because they’ve got the most size defensive lineman, and he continues to do it at a crazy pace to me.” — Kirby Smart on Volunteers tailback Dylan Sampson.
“I never try to take a step back. I try to take a step up. I’m always putting my head out the window. I’m trying to see around the corner, not trying to see straight ahead. It’s normalcy for everybody to see what’s in front of them. I’m trying to see around the corner. That’s the relationship I have with the Lord, to help me see around the corner so I can help navigate these young men as well as the women that’s attached to our program to a better way and a better life. So I don’t get caught up in the ‘You go, boys!’ or the ‘You ain’t nothing.’ You know, if I would’ve listened to you guys earlier, I’ve gotta listen to you now. So I might as well just put some headphones on and block you out. Notice I don’t have a sponsor for headphones, but that would’ve been a good placement for a sponsor.” — Deion Sanders when asked if he takes time to step back and appreciate the magnitude of Colorado’s turnaround.
“I hope anyone who has ambitions about playing in the National Football League, let’s see what you’ve got against Clemson. Let’s see you play your best game here. If you weren’t focused for Virginia, which I can’t imagine you weren’t — and I’m not saying anybody was not focused — but if they didn’t get your focus, I imagine Clemson will get your focus when you put the tape on.” — Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on whether playing Clemson gets the attention of his players.
BALTIMORE — The Orioles are ready to adjust their wall in left field again.
The team moved the wall at Camden Yards back and made it significantly taller before the 2022 season. General manager Mike Elias said Friday the team “overcorrected” and will try to find a “happier medium” before the 2025 season.
The team sent out a rendering of changes showing the wall moved farther in — particularly in left-center field near the bullpens — and reduced in height.