News/Commentary

Playoff Committee Moves Miami Up To 2nd

November 21, 2017 by Dave Congrove

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee completed its fourth Top 25 rankings of the season today and moved Miami into the No. 2 spot, jumping the 'Canes over Clemson. Otherwise, the top 12 remained the same from a week ago.

The selection committee will prepare two more rankings, including the final set on Selection Day, Sunday, December 3. The top four teams in the final rankings will play in the Playoff Semifinals on January 1, 2018, at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

"It was a week of stability at almost every level," said selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt. "The committee works off a clean sheet of paper. Each week we rank teams based on a full season of performance."

UCF continues to be the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences and are positioned to receive the automatic Big 6 Bowl slot. The only other ranked schools from Group of Five conferences are Memphis (20) and Boise State (23).

Michigan and N.C. State, ranked 24 and 19 a week ago, both dropped out of the rankings. South Carolina makes its first appearance at No. 24 while Virginia Tech re-enters at No. 25.

Here 's the complete Selection Committee Rankings:

  Team W-L LW
1. Alabama 11-0 1
2. Miami (Fla.) 10-0 3
3. Clemson 10-1 2
4. Oklahoma 11-0 4
5. Wisconsin 11-0 5
6. Auburn 9-2 6
7. Georgia 10-1 7
8. Notre Dame 9-2 8
9. Ohio State 9-2 9
10. Penn State 9-2 10
11. USC 10-2 11
12. TCU 9-2 12
13. Washington State 9-2 14
14. Mississippi State 8-3 16
15. UCF 8-3 15
16. Michigan State 8-3 17
17. Washington 9-2 18
18. LSU 8-3 20
19. Oklahoma State 8-3 13
20. Memphis 9-1 21
21. Stanford 8-3 22
22. Northwestern 8-3 23
23. Boise State 9-2 25
24. South Carolina 8-3 ---
25. Virginia Tech 8-3 ---

The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. This season’s semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2018, at the Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The national championship game will be Monday, January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.