After a wild Saturday that scrambled the top of college football, the College Football Playoff committee has a fresh mess on its hands. Last week’s rankings already drew plenty of heat, but after multiple top-10 games delivered real chaos, Tuesday night’s second reveal should look very different.
Start with Alabama and Tennessee, because that gap was one of the biggest talking points in the first rankings. The committee put a wide cushion between the teams even though Tennessee had already hammered the Crimson Tide in October.
Alabama got some support when it beat LSU at Death Valley, but Tennessee answered by blowing the doors off Kentucky. That leaves the committee with a clear question: does the gap finally shrink enough for the head-to-head result to matter?
The SEC had a chance to strengthen its grip even more. Last week, it already had five teams in the rankings, and if Ole Miss had beaten Georgia and LSU had taken down Alabama, the conference could have really stacked the deck against everyone else.
Instead, Georgia and Alabama won comfortably, which knocked Ole Miss and LSU out of playoff contention unless miracles happen. That turn of events may have opened the door a little wider for the Big 12.
And the Big 12 has a case to make. Texas Tech, which was 15th last week, picked up a thrilling win over a solid West Virginia team.
BYU, meanwhile, lost by just eight points to Utah despite turning the ball over four times. The Cougars’ win over Notre Dame also looks even better now after the Fighting Irish beat No.
1 Miami. With that kind of weekend, the Big 12 could land three teams in this week’s rankings.
Notre Dame is almost certain to climb after what it did against Miami. The committee basically handed the Irish a CFP ultimatum by placing them 11th last week, and they responded with a signature win.
But the game wasn’t clean from start to finish. Notre Dame jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead, then watched Miami outscore it 21-14 in the second half before the Hurricanes fell just short of a comeback.
Miami also has another wrinkle to deal with: star receiver and Heisman Trophy candidate Malachi Toney is out for the rest of the regular season because of injury, and that could affect how the committee views both teams.
There’s also the quarterback issue, which the committee may have to explain again. Ohio State appeared to take a hit for not having starting quarterback Julian Sayin against USC, a situation that brought back memories of the Florida State-Jordan Travis snub.
But the committee may have to live with the fact that this line of thinking cuts both ways. Wake Forest and Boise State both won convincingly with backup quarterbacks, and that should work in their favor when the rankings are updated.
Whether it actually does is another matter.
Then there’s UCLA, one of only three undefeated teams last week, which still got treated like an afterthought by the committee. The Bruins were slotted eighth, well behind Miami at No. 1 and Utah at No.
- Now that two teams ahead of UCLA lost, including Miami, the Bruins are set to move up.
The most interesting comparison may come within the Big Ten. UCLA beat Minnesota by 14 on the road.
Indiana beat the Golden Gophers by seven at home in overtime. If the committee leans on those results against a common opponent, and if Indiana’s bye week factors in, the Big Ten pecking order could shift in a meaningful way.
That’s one of the biggest things to watch when the new rankings come out.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Faces A Huge Big 12 Test With One New Concern
Texas Tech heads into its Big 12 matchup with Oklahoma State carrying plenty of momentum and a national ranking to match, but the Cowboys have also arrived with an offense that has made this game feel bigger than a typical midseason conference test. Both teams have been putting up strong numbers lately, and the matchup brings together two ranked programs, with Texas Tech at No. 12 and Oklahoma State at No. 25, in a game that should say plenty about where each stands in the league race.
The spotlight figures to fall on the quarterbacks, with Oklahoma State leaning on Drew Mestemaker and Texas Tech turning to Thomas Castellanos to keep its attack rolling. Recent game results and coach comments have only added to the sense that this one could turn on execution and composure, especially with one new concern hanging over the Red Raiders as they prepare for a tougher-than-usual conference challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Reshape Everything
Texas Tech heads to Boone Pickens Stadium on Nov. 14 for a Big 12 matchup that arrives with both teams still carrying plenty of weight in the conference race. The Red Raiders come in at 8-1, while Oklahoma State is 6-3, and the matchup has the feel of one of those late-season games that can shift how the rest of the league views both programs. Quarterbacks Thomas Castellanos and Drew Mestemaker are expected to be under center, giving the game a clear spotlight on the two offenses.
For Texas Tech, this is the kind of road test that can sharpen a strong season or expose the thin margin that still exists in conference play. Oklahoma State has enough on its rsum to make this more than a simple home date, and the prediction attached to the game leans toward the Cowboys, which only adds to the intrigue for a Red Raiders team trying to keep its momentum intact. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Has Momentum Building In More Than Just Football
Momentum around Texas Tech is showing up in more places than just the football field. The Lady Raiders rolled past Lamar 78-28 behind Stephanie Okechukwus 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks, while the soccer team kept its postseason push alive with a 2-0 win over UCF to reach the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Gianna Gregorie and Kaitlyn Giametta supplied the goals in a result that kept the Red Raiders fall sports slate moving in the right direction.
The football program is doing its part, too, with Thomas Castellanos earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after a strong outing and A.J. Holmes landing among the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. Even the future is starting to take shape, with softball set to join the 2027 Shriners Childrens Clearwater Invitational. For a program that wants to be relevant across the board, it has been a good stretch to have on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]