The Southeastern Conference’s losses were almost everyone else’s gain in the College Football Playoff rankings, with SMU nudging its way into the top 12 and Indiana staying in the mix at No. 10 despite a lopsided loss of its own.
The 12-team bracket released Tuesday placed undefeated Oregon on top for the fourth straight week. It did not include Alabama or Mississippi of the SEC, both of which suffered their third losses of the season last week.
That helped move SMU up four spots to No. 9, joining No. 6 Miami to give the Atlantic Coast Conference two teams in the 12-team bracket. They could meet in the ACC title game in two weeks. Clemson, ranked 12th, is also in the mix.
“We’ve been in that position where, so far, our resume hadn’t been good enough, so we needed some help,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said a few hours before the rankings were released.
All eyes were on Indiana, and how harshly the committee would penalize the Hoosiers for their first loss of the season, a 38-15 thumping by No. 2 Ohio State. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti scoffed at the idea the Hoosiers weren’t a playoff team. The selection committee agreed, only bumping the Hoosiers down five spots.
“We were impressed with some of the things Indiana did,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chair of the selection committee. “They dropped five but we still felt their body of work was strong enough to remain in the top 10.”
The committee wasn’t nearly as generous to the Big 12. Losses by its top two teams last week — BYU and Colorado — vaulted Arizona State, which beat BYU, into the bracket.
The Sun Devils were ranked 16th. That afforded them the 12th and final spot in the bracket as the fifth-best projected conference champ, but gave the Big 12 the distinct feel of a one-bid league.
Another bid would belong to Boise State of the Mountain West. The Broncos were ranked 11th but got the fourth seed in the bracket as the fourth-best projected conference champion.
SEC leader Texas was ranked third.
Alabama dropped six spots to No. 13 and Ole Miss dropped five spots to No. 14. Both are out of the mix, but not completely out of the question, as the committee wrestles over the next two weeks with whether a three-loss team belongs in the playoff.
“The appetite is there to rank the teams as we see them,” Manuel said, while pointing out that in the 10-year history of the CFP, the committee has placed 22 three-loss teams in the top 12.
Before this year, of course, only the top four seeds mattered.
Other rankings: No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Georgia and No. 8 Tennessee.
There are two more rankings to come out — next week, then the last one on Dec. 8, which will set the pairings for the playoffs that start Dec. 20. The national title game is set for Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
Games to watch
Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State: A Buckeyes win sets up a rematch with Oregon in the Big Ten title game (with a third meeting possible in the playoffs).
No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M: The winner plays Georgia for the SEC title. The Longhorns would presumably make the 12-team bracket either way.
No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: The Palmetto Bowl for a chance to stay on the fringes of consideration for the CFP.
This week’s projected first-round matchups
Teams listed by seed, not ranking.
No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Ohio State: Fun fact: The Big 12 is NOT guaranteed a spot in these playoffs, and Tulane of the American Athletic Conference is No. 17, only one spot behind ASU.
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Georgia: The Bulldogs are vulnerable to a third loss in the SEC title game. This would be rematch of Georgia’s 31-17 win on Nov. 16.
No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Penn State: An argument could be made that had these Big Ten foes played this season, both might not be here.
No. 10 SMU at No. 7 Notre Dame: They haven’t squared off since 1989, but are scheduled to play again in 2026.
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