Top 2 College Football Playoff Chase Rankings
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1)
When it comes to who’s playing better at the immediate moment, Ohio State has it all over Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are are explosive and they’re getting the job done in the best conference in America, but they had a hard time putting Arkansas away, they needed to push to get past Florida and LSU teams that probably won’t go bowling, and there’s the loss to Texas A&M that kept the College Football Playoff spot from being a certainty.
There were also blowout wins over Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee – even if that last one took a while.
The resumé is too good, and, of course, it could get in on the Because It’s Alabama clause.
And that’s why Bama is two and Ohio State three in this. Ohio State is almost certainly out with a second loss. There’s a school of thought by a whole lot of smart people who do this that Alabama could lose to Georgia and still get in at 11-2.
If it’s a blowout loss to the Bulldogs, forget it. But let’s say it’s close.
On the belief that the College Football Playoff is supposed to be about the four best teams, do you take a Crimson Tide team that played a schedule that Cincinnati would go 9-3 against at absolute best – throwing another loss on the fire if you include Georgia?
Let’s say it’s a tough 27-24 Georgia win over Bama that comes down to a walk-off field goal, and Cincinnati sputters and struggles against Houston.
If there are already three sure-thing options – like Georgia, one-loss Big Ten champion, and a one-loss Big 12 champion that rolled through its last two games – I think Cincinnati still gets in, but that’s a coin flip.
Or, Alabama could just beat Georgia.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (11-0)
Honest question – doesn’t it feel like you haven’t watched Georgia in months?
You didn’t watch the Charleston Southern game, and the SEC wins have become a blur since they were all but over at halftime.
All Georgia has to do is beat Georgia Tech this week. Do that, and as the only remaining unbeaten Power Five team, it’s in the College Football Playoff even if it gets obliterated by Alabama in the SEC Championship – think 2020 Notre Dame.
We’re not at a point that people are looking for things to pick on.
Stetson Bennett still holding down the quarterback job over NFL prospect JT Daniels is going to be an issue at some point, but that’s a high-rent district issue.
A few have even started criticizing the schedule – where’s the really good win?
The Dawgs will probably have wins over eight bowl teams – nine if you include Alabama – and not one has played a competitive game against them since the 10-7 opener against Clemson a million weeks ago.
Beat Georgia Tech, get into the College Football Playoff.
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Week 12 Roundup
Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Week 13 opening lines | CFP Top 25 Prediction
Bowl Projections | Week 12 scoreboard
Big Game Reaction: Utah, OSU, OU, Bama
Bowl Bubble: Who still has a shot?