College Football Top 25: Heading into Championship Weekend

First things first, check out my bowl projections here. I tried something new and I hope to hear your thoughts.

The regular season is over, which means this upcoming weekend is for crowning conference champions. We saw unbelievable games and outcomes throughout rivalry weekend. Michigan beat Ohio State, Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma, we had a 4OT Iron Bowl! How does all of that impact the rankings? Let’s find out as we head into the championship weekend:

  1. Georgia (12-0) (PREV: 1)

Georgia finished the season undefeated, blowing out rival Georgia Tech 45-0. Jordan Davis will make a huge impact as he leads the top defense against Alabama. Quality wins include Clemson, Arkansas, Auburn, and Kentucky.

  1. Alabama (13-1) (PREV: 3)

Alabama has the Heisman frontrunner in Bryce Young, who will need to step up if the Crimson Tide want to beat Georgia in the SEC Championship. John Metchie III caught the game-winning two-point conversion against rival Auburn in a four-overtime classic. Quality wins include Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Auburn.

  1. Michigan (11-1) (PREV: 5)

Michigan won The Game. Yes, you heard that right. Hassan Haskins had a Kenneth Walker III-type game as he scored five touchdowns against Ohio State. Aidan Hutchinson also looks like one of the nation’s top defensive players. They have their first Big Ten Championship Game appearance, facing the Iowa Hawkeyes. Quality wins include Wisconsin, Penn State, and Ohio State.

  1. Cincinnati (12-0) (PREV: 4)

Cincinnati routed East Carolina 35-13, finishing the regular season undefeated. They will host the American Athletic Conference Championship Game against Houston, who has not lost since Week 1. Quality wins include Notre Dame and SMU. I still think they won’t compete with the juggernauts in the College Football Playoff, but here we are with them sitting at #4.

  1. Oklahoma State (11-1) (PREV: 7)

Oklahoma State won Bedlam for the first time since 2014. Some may say Oklahoma State forced Lincoln Riley out of Norman. They are the only team in the Big 12 with a legit shot at the College Football Playoff, but they have to beat Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game first. Quality wins include Baylor and Oklahoma.

  1. Notre Dame (11-1) (PREV: 6)

Notre Dame did what they were supposed to: blow out Stanford. Notre Dame, however, just lost Brian Kelly to LSU. I’ve seen some Notre Dame fans glad to see him gone and some not happy with the move. Quality wins include Purdue, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, and Virginia. Notre Dame needs a new coach for their bowl game. The Fighting Irish patiently wait for where they play their final game (if they don’t make the College Football Playoff).

  1. Ohio State (10-2) (PREV: 2)

Ohio State will miss the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. Who would’ve thought? The Buckeyes have one of the best offenses in college football but fell to two top defensive teams (Oregon and Michigan). They should make a NY6 bowl, but it’s likely that Iowa will take the Rose Bowl spot, leaving them with either the Fiesta or Peach Bowl. Quality wins include Purdue and Michigan State.

  1. Baylor (10-2) (PREV: 8)

Baylor is in the Big 12 Championship Game, facing Oklahoma State in Arlington. They were one play away from being eliminated from the Big 12 Championship Game, but a missed field goal by Texas Tech won the game for the Bears. Quality wins include BYU and Oklahoma.

  1. Ole Miss (10-2) (PREV: 10)

Ole Miss should be locked in a NY6 bowl, whether it’s the Fiesta or Peach Bowl. Matt Corral won’t be the Heisman winner, it’s now Bryce Young’s to lose. With wins over Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State, the Rebels are in a good spot right now, even though they’re not in the SEC Championship.

  1. Oregon (10-2) (PREV: 11)

Oregon is locked into the Pac-12 Championship after beating in-state rival Oregon State by nine. They have a win over Ohio State, but the Buckeyes also have two better losses. The loss to Stanford hurt the Ducks badly. Oregon will rematch with Utah, with a spot in the Rose Bowl Game on the line.

  1. Oklahoma (10-2) (PREV: 9)

Oklahoma could not have had a worse weekend. First, they lost to in-state rival Oklahoma State, then they lose Lincoln Riley to USC. That caused many recruits to de-commit and for players such as Spencer Rattler to enter the transfer portal. Bob Stoops will coach the Sooners’ bowl game, which seems to be the only positive.

  1. Michigan State (10-2) (PREV: 12)

Michigan State wrapped up its regular season with a three-point win over Penn State. After getting blown out by Ohio State, it must feel good to earn a hard-fought win heading into the postseason. Now, they await the bowl game they’re in. They should get the Big Ten’s fourth-best bowl game, even though they had a terrific season. They’re the only team to defeat Michigan this season.

  1. BYU (10-2) (PREV: 13)

BYU finished the regular season on a five-game win streak after they edged USC in Los Angeles. Get this: the Cougars went 5-0 against Pac-12 teams this season. They own the Pac-12. They even have an impressive win over Utah, who is in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Even after Zach Wilson left, BYU is still thriving.

  1. Iowa (10-2) (PREV: 17)

Iowa is in the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan edging Nebraska by one touchdown and Wisconsin losing to Minnesota. At one point this season, they were the #2 team in the country. Now, they’re the underdogs as they take the trip to Indianapolis. I have this team in the Rose Bowl Game, win or lose on Saturday.

  1. Utah (9-3) (PREV: 16)

Utah beat rival Colorado in the Rumble in the Rockies 28-13. They have a rematch against Oregon, who they beat back in Week 12. After starting 1-2, the Utes show their resilience and find themselves headed to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship Game. If they win, they’re in the Rose Bowl Game.

  1. Houston (11-1) (PREV: 18)

Houston went undefeated in the American Athletic Conference, something only Cincinnati can say. They will face the Bearcats in the championship game in Cincinnati, coming in as a major underdog. The Cougars have not lost since Week 1, and they wrapped up the season with a blowout win over UConn. Their biggest win was against SMU, which isn’t too impressive compared to Cincinnati’s win over Notre Dame. However, don’t count Houston out.

  1. Wake Forest (10-2) (PREV: 19)

Wake Forest’s defense finally showed up on Saturday as the Demon Deacons blew out Boston College 41-10. With that win, they find themselves in the ACC Championship against Pittsburgh. Pitt is 1-0 against Wake Forest, but the last time Wake was in the ACC Championship, they won in 2006. It’ll be a battle of two of the best scoring offenses in the country.

  1. Pittsburgh (10-2) (PREV: 20)

Pittsburgh has the ACC Player of the Year frontrunner in Kenny Pickett, who is also a dark horse pick for the Heisman Trophy. They beat Syracuse on Saturday, which was no surprise to anyone. They’re just behind Wake Forest in the rankings, but they can go ahead of them if they win the ACC Championship. Their best win came against Clemson, someone Wake Forest was not able to beat (however Pitt had home-field advantage, while Wake Forest did not). 

  1. San Diego State (11-1) (PREV: 21)

San Diego State beat Boise State on Friday, finishing with a league-best 7-1 record in the Mountain West. Their only loss came against Fresno State, who has flirted with top 25 status. Their Week 3 win over Utah has turned out to be their best. They have Utah State at home for the Mountain West Championship Game.

  1. NC State (9-3) (PREV: 22)

NC State completed a thrilling comeback against rival North Carolina in hopes of making the ACC Championship Game. However, those hopes were killed after Wake Forest’s win over Boston College. They finish second in the Atlantic Division as they await where they will go bowling to. Their best win has to be Clemson, even though the Tigers were disappointing this season.

  1. Clemson (9-3) (PREV: 23)

Clemson shut out South Carolina in Columbia 30-0. Clemson had an outside chance of making the ACC Championship, but that was shut down once NC State and Wake Forest won. They have been trending upwards, so watch out for the Tigers heading into whatever bowl game they are playing in.

  1. Texas A&M (8-4) (PREV: 15)

For the SEC, the loss to LSU was a positive as it made LSU bowl eligible. However, it tanks Texas A&M’s resume, as LSU finished last in the SEC West. They’re the only team to beat Alabama and also own a win over Auburn. At 8-4, Texas A&M was 4-4 in conference play, but the SEC was strong this year.

  1. Louisiana (11-1) (PREV: N/A)

Louisiana has emerged as the top team in the Sun Belt, but they will have to get past Appalachian State in order to do so. Like Houston, Louisiana has not lost a game since Week 1, which coincidentally came against another Big 12 team from Texas (Texas). Will the Ragin’ Cajuns sweep Appalachian State? They have home-field advantage.

  1. Arkansas (8-4) (PREV: 23)

Arkansas bounced back after losing to Alabama with a rivalry win over Missouri, 34-17. All of their losses are quality, even though Auburn isn’t ranked in my top 25. KJ Jefferson will get lots of attention in whatever bowl game they are placed in.

  1. Kentucky (9-3) (PREV: N/A)

Kentucky finished the year on the right note, on a three-game winning streak after losing three-in-a-row prior to the win streak. Mark Stoops just signed an extension that is good through 2027. With Will Levis leading the way, there’s a lot to like about this group headed into bowl season.

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