The penultimate version of the 2020 college Football Playoff Rankings was released Tuesday night time, and the first 5 groups in the top 25 were unchanged as they’ve been for multiple weeks. Alabama stays the top-ranked team in the nation with Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State filling out the top four.
With the Buckeyes set to play within the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern on Saturday, questions about their candidacy from the CFP appear to have dissipated, especially as the list of contenders seemingly shrunk after Florida was upset by LSU final week.
Texas A&M stays as the primary crew out with Iowa State leaping as much as No. 6 as the second crew exterior of the sector. The Cyclones will face No. 10 Oklahoma on Saturday in the Huge 12 Championship Game for a New Yr’s Six bid.
The Gators, regardless of their surprising loss, solely dropped one spot to No. 7 forward of the SEC Championship Recreation towards the Crimson Tide. That not solely offers Florida no less than an outside chance of making its manner into the four-team discipline if everything shakes out in its favor, it doubtless places UF in pole place to earn a New Yr’s Six spots ahead of Georgia, which the Gators beat 44-28 head-to-head on Nov. 7.
Cincinnati fell one spot to No. 9 after once again sitting on the sidelines. It can face No. 23 Tulsa within the AAC Championship Game with a New Yr’s Six bid on the road for the Bearcats. Coastal Carolina at No. 12 is in contention for that spot ought to Cincinnati lose.
College Football Playoff Rankings, Dec. 15
- Alabama (10-0)
- Notre Dame (10-0)
- Clemson (9-1)
- Ohio State (5-0)
- Texas A&M (7-1)
- Iowa State (8-2)
- Florida (8-2)
- Georgia (7-2)
- Cincinnati (8-0)
- Oklahoma (7-2)
- Indiana (6-1)
- Coastal Carolina (11-0)
- USC (5-0)
- Northwestern (6-1)
- North Carolina (8-3)
- Iowa (6-2)
- BYU (10-1)
- Miami (8-2)
- Louisiana (9-1)
- Texas (6-3)
- Oklahoma State (7-3)
- NC State (8-3)
- Tulsa (6-1)
- San Jose State (6-0)
- Colorado (4-1)
Analysis by bowls expert Jerry Palm
This week’s rankings provide more nitpicks than main squabbles. That’s except you might be still on the Georgia-is-vastly-overrated train. The Bulldogs present a floor for the Gators’ drop within the rankings due to the head-to-head result. That floor is just too high as a result of Georgia is too high at No. 8. That said, the Dawgs picked up their finest win of the season final week at Missouri.
Sadly for now-No. 9 Cincinnati, that win was enough to push Georgia forward of the Bearcats this week. Cincinnati has suffered for not being able to construct up its resume whereas sitting out due to COVID-19 issues. Lacking out on a chance to beat Tulsa on the street hurts, even though the Bearcats still get a shot on the Golden Hurricane this week at home. Cincinnati was not a CFP contender anyway, but the Bearcats do have a chance to complete with the highest rating of a Group of 5 teams. That file is currently by UCF, which completed eighth in 2018.
Read also-5 MMA champions who struggled in the UFC
No. 11 Indiana is another crew that has missed out on chances to build its resume for a New Yr’s Six games. COVID-19 points have canceled two chances for the Hoosiers to play Purdue. Extra importantly, not attending to play the Boilermakers on Dec. 12 price Indiana an opportunity to play Iowa this week, which might have been a possibility for a much-needed quality win. The Hoosiers could now want Oklahoma to lose the Huge 12 Championship Game to get a chance on the New Yr’s Six. It seems unlikely that Iowa State would fall far sufficient with a loss to present Indiana a spot.
Miami took the largest hit in the rankings this week after giving up virtually 800 yards and 62 factors to UNC. As expected, the impact in the rankings was that it hurt Miami greater than it helped the Tar Heels. The Hurricanes dropped eight spots to No. 18, while UNC solely moved up two and sits 15th. If each Notre Dame and Clemson qualify for the CFP, North Carolina could be the ACC consultant to the Orange Bowl.
No. 12 Coastal Carolina still has a slim chance to make the New Yr’s Six without being the highest-rated Group of 5 champions. That will require a dominant win over No. 19 Louisiana in the Solar Belt Championship Game and some help to get the Chanticleers into the final top 10. With two of the New Yr’s Six teams likely to end beneath that, it will take a ranking that high to be selected merely as an at-large crew.
Read also-National Signing Day 2020: How COVID-19 changed college football recruiting, likely for good
