Week 10 shook up the College Football Playoff picture in a hurry, and the selection committee is about to have a brand-new team sitting at No. 1.
The headline result came in South Bend, where No. 11 Notre Dame survived and handed No.
1 Miami its first loss of the season, 31-24. That alone is enough to force a change at the top when the committee unveils its second rankings of the year.
Miami wasn’t the only playoff contender to take a hit. No.
6 Kentucky dropped its second game, getting blown out by No. 13 Tennessee, 34-6.
No. 12 Ohio State also stumbled, falling to No.
23 Oregon, 41-28. The Buckeyes entered the weekend just outside the 12-team field, with No.
25 Boise State holding the final spot, and that picture is expected to look a lot different now.
While some contenders slipped, others made loud statements. No.
2 Georgia rolled past No. 10 Ole Miss, 42-7.
No. 3 Utah won the Holy War against No.
9 BYU, 28-20. No.
5 Alabama also delivered one of the weekend’s strongest showings, knocking off No. 14 LSU, 31-13.
The Crimson Tide, a team that drew plenty of criticism in last week’s rankings, backed up their place with a convincing win over Lane Kiffin’s Tigers.
The new rankings were set to be revealed on ESPN at approximately 9 p.m. ET, after the Duke-Michigan State men’s basketball game and before Kansas takes on Kentucky. The committee’s second release comes with the 12-team playoff in its final season, and the format continues to give the top four teams byes regardless of conference champion status.
Here’s how the rankings stood before the update:
- Miami
- Georgia
- Utah
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Texas
- UCLA
- BYU
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Wake Forest
- Houston
- Missouri
- Iowa
- USC
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Oregon
- Florida
- Boise State
The committee also operates under conflict-of-interest rules, with members barred from discussing or voting on programs tied to their own conflicts.
In Other News...
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LSUs frontcourt plans for the future got a boost in February when Caroline Bradley, one of the nations top recruits out of Oak Grove, Louisiana, chose the Tigers. The highly regarded prospect is set to make it official during the NCAA early signing period, adding another in-state name to Kim Mulkeys growing pipeline of talent.
Bradleys commitment matters not just because of her ranking, but because of the connection she already has with Mulkey and the fit she appears to offer for LSUs womens basketball program. She is expected to arrive with the chance to make an immediate impact starting next season, giving the Tigers another promising piece to build around up front. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Gets A Whit Weeks Boost As Texas Prep Brings New Concern
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The report also added fresh concern, with offensive tackle Weston Davis and defensive end Gabriel Reliford showing up among the seven players listed. LSU is already working without Phillip Wright III, Dashawn Spears and Charles Ross II, all of whom are out for the season with leg injuries, so the Tigers are managing both the hope of a boost and the reality of a growing health list as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Playoff Push Just Took A Hit Fans Cant Ignore
A trip to Alabama was always going to be a measuring stick for LSU, but the Tigers came away with a 31-13 loss that leaves them 6-3 and with plenty to sort through. Even in defeat, there were a few bright spots, with Jackson Harris and TreyDez Green turning in notable performances, but the overall picture was hard to ignore as LSU spent much of the night chasing the game.
Braelin Moore had a rough outing, and the bigger concern was how often the offense seemed to fight itself in key moments. The play calling and coaching decisions drew criticism as LSU struggled to find rhythm, leaving the Tigers with more questions than answers as the playoff push gets tighter. [Read more 🡒]