There was uncertainty with the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season. The second release Tuesday, Nov. 11, had fewer unknowns with Ohio State expectedly retaining the No. 1 spot.
The defending champion Buckeyes are three games away from completing an unbeaten regular season and clinching a spot in the Big Ten title game. Right behind them is conference rival Indiana. The Hoosiers, who also are unbeaten, kept hold of the second spot after a thrilling defeat of Penn State in the final minute.
Texas A&M, the only other unbeaten in the Bowl Subdivision, remains in third after an impressive road defeat of Missouri. The Aggies are followed by SEC rivals Alabama and Georgia, giving us the same top five as last week.
There was, however, change in the second half of the top 10.
Texas Tech moved up two spots to No. 6, leapfrogging Mississippi after knocking off previously unbeaten Brigham Young to establish itself as the prohibitive Big 12 favorite and knock the Cougars down five spots to No. 12. Oregon improves to No. 8 after its close defeat of Iowa on the road. Notre Dame and Texas gain one spot to complete the top 10.
The race among the Group of Five conference teams has South Florida from the American at No. 24. The Bulls are the lone representative from the group in the top 25. The highest-ranked champion from those conferences is guaranteed a spot in the field.
The ranking is the second of six releases by the committee. The next three will come weekly on Tuesdays until the final release on Sunday, Dec. 7, when the 12 teams in the field and the playoff bracket is unveiled.
CFP rankings Top 25
- Ohio State (9-0)
- Indiana (10-0)
- Texas A&M (9-0)
- Alabama (8-1)
- Georgia (8-1)
- Texas Tech (9-1)
- Mississippi (9-1)
- Oregon (8-1)
- Notre Dame (7-2)
- Texas (7-2)
- Oklahoma (7-2)
- Brigham Young (8-1)
- Utah (7-2)
- Vanderbilt (8-2)
- Miami (7-2)
- Georgia Tech (8-1)
- Southern California (7-2)
- Michigan (7-2)
- Virginia (8-2)
- Louisville (7-2)
- Iowa (6-3)
- Pittsburgh (7-2)
- Tennessee (6-3)
- South Florida (7-2)
- Cincinnati (7-2)
How the College Football Playoff would look based on rankings
First round
No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Texas Tech
No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Mississippi
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinals
No. 4 Alabama vs. Georgia-South Florida winner
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech-Miami winner
No. 2 Indiana vs. Mississippi-Texas winner
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Oregon-Notre Dame winner
What is the College Football Playoff schedule?
The schedule for first-round games taking place on campus sites will see No. 5 hosting No. 12, No. 6 facing No. 11, No. 7 meeting No. 10 and No. 8 squaring off with No. 9.
Winners of those games will advance to the quarterfinals with the Cotton Bowl hosting its matchup on Dec. 31. The other three games of the round will be played Jan. 1 with the Orange Bowl starting the day followed by the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host the semifinals on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, respectively.
The championship game will be played on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium.