Championship Countdown: CFP Rankings Unveiled After Rivalry Week Chaos

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The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its penultimate rankings on Tuesday, December 2nd, confirming the top contenders and setting the table for a high-stakes Championship Weekend that will determine the final 12-team field. Massive upsets in the final week of the regular season caused significant movement, particularly just outside the top four.

The Top Four & The Big Ten Lock

The top of the rankings remained locked down, primarily due to the Big Ten’s dominance:

Rank	Team	Record	Key Takeaway
1.	Ohio State	12-0	Remains the undisputed top team and a lock for a first-round bye.
2.	Indiana	12-0	Also remains undefeated; the Big Ten Championship game winner will be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.
3.	Georgia	11-1	Moved up one spot after Texas A&M’s loss. They face No. 9 Alabama in the SEC Championship.
4.	Texas Tech	11-1	Climbed one spot to grab the final projected first-round bye, setting up a showdown with No. 11 BYU for the Big 12 title.

Major Shakes in the Top 10

The biggest mover was the former No. 3, Texas A&M, whose rivalry loss caused a chain reaction that reshaped the top 10:

Texas A&M Tumbles: The Aggies dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 following their loss to Texas, but their 11-1 record ensures they are still safely in the playoff field.
Ole Miss Rises (Despite Coaching Chaos): Despite losing coach Lane Kiffin to LSU just days ago, the Ole Miss Rebels (11-1) moved up one spot to No. 6, with the committee valuing their overall season resume and 11-1 record. They are positioned to host a first-round playoff game.
The Bama/Notre Dame Debate: The committee debated fiercely over the final at-large spots, ultimately placing No. 9 Alabama (10-2) ahead of No. 10 Notre Dame (10-2). Alabama benefited from the committee valuing their win over Auburn more than Notre Dame’s win over Stanford, despite both teams having the same record. The loser of the SEC Championship (Alabama or Georgia) is guaranteed a spot, leaving Notre Dame nervously watching the outcome of the Big 12 title game.

The Bubble and Conference Chaos

Teams outside the Top 10 are on life support, but two conference championship games offer automatic bids that could shake up the Top 12:

First Teams Out: No. 11 BYU (11-1) and No. 12 Miami (10-2) are currently the highest-ranked teams on the outside looking in. BYU can guarantee a playoff spot if they win the Big 12 Championship against Texas Tech.
ACC Disaster Scenario: The ACC has only one ranked team in the Top 12 (Miami, which is not playing for the title). No. 17 Virginia (10-2) will play unranked Duke for the championship. If Virginia wins, they get the automatic bid. However, the American and Sun Belt champions could jump Virginia if they win, raising the rare scenario of a Power Four conference being left out of an automatic bid. The American Championship features No. 20 Tulane vs. No. 24 North Texas, while the Sun Belt champion could be No. 25 James Madison.

The final rankings will be released this Sunday, after all conference champions are crowned.

Here is the full Top 12:

Rank	Team	Record
1.	Ohio State	12-0
2.	Indiana	12-0
3.	Georgia	11-1
4.	Texas Tech	11-1
5.	Oregon	11-1
6.	Ole Miss	11-1
7.	Texas A&M	11-1
8.	Oklahoma	10-2
9.	Alabama	10-2
10.	Notre Dame	10-2
11.	BYU	11-1
12.	Miami (FL)	10-2