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NCAA Football

Georgia Emerges as 2025 Favorite

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Georgia was only a spectator as Michigan beat Washington to win the 2023 CFP national title, but the Bulldogs are already favored to be back atop the college football world next season.

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The Bulldogs opened as +350 favorites at FanDuel and +450 at DraftKings to win the 2024 College Football Playoff, which will expand to 12 teams for the first time. The Bulldogs are favored ahead of SEC rival Alabama, with the Crimson Tide opening at +550 and +600, respectively.

The Bulldogs’ quest to win three consecutive titles was thwarted by the Tide in last month’s SEC championship. It was Alabama that went on to reach the CFP, losing 27-20 in overtime to Michigan in the semifinals. Georgia and Alabama have seen their 2024 rosters bolstered by the addition of transfers along with the top two recruiting classes in the country by 247Sports.

Ohio State, which landed one of the most coveted quarterbacks via the transfer portal in Will Howard, opened with the third-shortest odds at +800 at both books.

The Buckeyes are followed by the Texas Longhorns, who opened at +850 at FanDuel and +900 at DraftKings. The Longhorns’ furious rally against Washington in the other semifinal fell short in a 37-31 defeat.

Michigan is +1000 at both books, followed by Oregon at +1200 by FanDuel and +1000 by DraftKings.

Florida State, which controversially was left out of the CFP despite an undefeated season as the ACC champion, opened with the ninth-shortest odds at +1800 at both books.

Washington suffered a 34-13 defeat on Monday night, and the Huskies are +5000 longshots to win next season’s title as they prepare to join Michigan in the Big Ten.

2024-25 CFP Title Odds 

Georgia (+450)
Alabama (+600)
Ohio State (+800)
Texas (+900)
Michigan (+1000)
Oregon (+1100)
LSU (+1400)
Ole Miss (+1600)
Florida State (+1800)
Clemson (+2000)
Penn State (+2000)
Notre Dame (+2500)
Southern California (+3000)
Oklahoma (+3500)
Texas A&M (+4000)
Tennessee (+4500)
Washington (+5000)
Utah (+5000)
Missouri (+6000)
Miami (FL) (+6000)
Arizona (+7000)
Kansas State (+7000)
Wisconsin (+10000)
Auburn (+10000)
Louisville (+10000)

Colorado, whose first season under coach Deion Sanders started off 3-0 before the Buffaloes stumbled to a 4-8 season, opened as +20000 longshots at DraftKings and +30000 at FanDuel.

–Field Level Media

Michigan Runs All Over Washington

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Michigan’s Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards each rushed for two touchdowns and No. 1 Michigan completed an undefeated season with a punishing 34-13 victory over No. 2 Washington in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night in Texas.

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Corum had 134 yards on 21 rushes and Edwards added 104 on just six carries as Michigan (15-0) won its first national title since winning in split fashion in 1997. The Wolverines racked up 303 yards on the ground while limiting Washington to 46.

Mike Sainristil returned a key interception 81 yards to set up Michigan’s final touchdown and Will Johnson also had a pick.

Michael Penix Jr. completed 27 of 51 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (14-1). Jalen McMillan had a touchdown catch and Rome Odunze had five receptions for 87 yards for the Huskies.

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Washington’s Dillon Johnson played despite injuries to his left knee and right foot. He had 33 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 24 yards.

J.J. McCarthy completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards for the Wolverines, who outgained the Huskies 443-301.

Michigan led by seven when it took over with 9:44 left in the game.

On the first play of the drive, McCarthy connected with Colston Loveland for a gain of 41 to the Huskies 30-yard line. Four plays later, Corum scored on a 12-yard run to give Michigan a 27-13 lead with 7:09 remaining.

Penix lofted a 44-yard pass to Odunze with 6:18 left to get Washington in scoring range. But the Huskies soon faced fourth-and-13 from the Wolverines 30, and Sainristil picked off the ball and raced the other way, setting up Corum’s 1-yard TD run with 3:37 remaining.

 

Bowl Games Round-Up: All Georgia

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Georgia QB Carson Beck passed for two touchdowns in two quarters and No. 6 Georgia steamrolled No. 5 Florida State 63-3 on Saturday in a record showing at the Orange Bowl in South Florida.

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Beck completed 13 of 18 passes for 203 yards before exiting as the Bulldogs won by an Orange Bowl-record 60 points. The previous largest margin of victory was 55 when Alabama routed Syracuse 61-6 on Jan. 1, 1953.

Kendall Milton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Daijun Edwards also ran for two scores as Georgia (13-1) pummeled a previously unbeaten Florida State squad. The Seminoles (13-1) were missing several key players on both sides of the ball, most of them either declaring for the NFL draft or entering the transfer portal.

Freshman Brock Glenn completed 9 of 26 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions in his second straight start for Florida State. Glenn became the starter after star Jordan Travis broke his leg and Tate Rodemaker sustained a concussion and later entered the portal.

Peach Bowl: No. 11 Mississippi 38, No. 10 Penn State 25

Jaxson Dart threw three touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown as the Rebels defeated the Nittany Lions in Atlanta.

Tre Harris finished with seven catches and 134 yards for Mississippi (11-2), as the Rebels recorded 11 wins for the first time in program history. Ole Miss also had the second 10-win season in school history.

Drew Allar passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Warren had five catches for 127 yards for Penn State (10-3), which had 510 yards.

Music City Bowl: Maryland 31, Auburn 13

Billy Edwards Jr. passed for one touchdown and ran for another in place of record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who opted out of the bowl game, to lead the Terrapins over the Tigers in Nashville, Tenn.

Edwards, a redshirt sophomore who attempted 10 passes during the regular season, helped the Terps (8-5) to a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Edwards completed 6 of 20 passes for 126 yards and also ran for a team-high 50 yards on 13 carries.

It was the fourth consecutive bowl loss for Auburn (6-7), whose last bowl victory was a 63-14 rout of Purdue in the 2018 Music City Bowl.

Arizona Bowl: Wyoming 16, Toledo 15

John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal with one second remaining to lift the Cowboys to a comeback win over the Rockets in Tucson, Ariz.

Hoyland’s kick capped a game-winning, 12-play, 87-yard drive for Wyoming (9-4). Andrew Peasley completed 20 of 25 passes for 168 yards for the Cowboys, who won their final game under coach Craig Bohl before his retirement.

Tucker Gleason completed 14 of 34 passes for 184 yards and one interception for Toledo (11-3). Jacquez Stuart led the team with 99 rushing yards and a touchdown.

–Field Level Media

BC Hits High Note at Fenway

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Fenway Bowl: Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14

Thomas Castellanos rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Eagles rallied past the Mustangs in Boston.

Castellanos ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and logged 96 of his 102 passing yards in the second half to lead Boston College (7-6), which lost its last three regular-season games.

SMU (11-3), which had a nine-game winning streak snapped, was shut out 13-0 in the second half and gained just three first downs in the fourth quarter.

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Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19

Avery Johnson found Jayce Brown for an 11-yard touchdown to cap the clinching drive in the fourth quarter as No. 25 Kansas State defeated No. 18 North Carolina State 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday in Orlando.

The Wildcats took the ball with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter and kept it for 7:24 on the decisive march, which lasted 15 plays and covered 72 yards.

Kansas State (9-4) had only one quarterback on the roster Thursday, limiting the Wildcats’ use of Johnson in the running game. He still finished with 71 yards on seven carries to go with 14-of-31 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

North Carolina State (9-4) was seeking its second 10-win season in program history (2002). Brennan Armstrong was 14 of 28 for 164 yards and one interception. He led the Wolfpack with 121 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground but ran for only 7 yards in the second half.

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami 24

Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and the Scarlet Knights rallied in the second half to top the Hurricanes in New York.

Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat Miami for the first time in 12 meetings. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.

Jacurri Brown was 20 of 31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start for the Hurricanes (7-6). He also ran for two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

SMU in Enemy Territory at Fenway Bowl

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 24 SMU aims for its 10th consecutive win when it treks north to meet future Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College in the second-ever Fenway Bowl on Thursday at Boston’s beloved Fenway Park.

The Mustangs are 11-2, beating Tulane 26-14 to win the American Athletic Conference championship — their first crown since 1984 in the Southwest Conference — following an 8-0 record in league play.

SMU has outscored opponents by more than 23 points per game and has logged 466.2 yards of offense per game. The Mustangs’ only two losses came at then-No. 18 Oklahoma and TCU, which played for the national championship last January.

Despite the success, SMU was not selected for a New Year’s Six game.

“The bottom line is we’re still celebrating (a conference championship) and we’re not going to let things that maybe we don’t agree with overshadow that,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said of the bowl announcement.

After star sophomore quarterback Preston Stone broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Navy, SMU turned to Kevin Jennings for his first career start in the AAC title game. The redshirt freshman threw for 203 yards and a touchdown.

The Mustangs’ balanced offense has accounted for 32 passing and 28 rushing touchdowns. SMU has eight 300-yard receivers, led by RJ Maryland’s 518 with seven touchdowns. Jaylan Knighton has 720 rushing yards and seven scores.

SMU ranks second nationally in sacks with 47, behind Elijah Roberts’ 10. The Mustangs are sixth in scoring offense at 40.6 points per game.

Lashlee, who was UConn’s offensive coordinator for a 2017 game against Boston College at Fenway Park, knows the significance of finishing the season on a high note.

“We haven’t won a bowl game here (since 2012), we need to try to accomplish that,” Lashlee said. “Getting (win) No. 12 to tie the school record would be big time. Whether or not we win or lose, that game’s not going to really validate or diminish this team’s accomplishment, I think it’s pretty cemented.”

The Eagles (6-6) look to the bowl invitation as a fresh start after losing to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Miami consecutively to end the regular season, following a five-game win streak that was their longest since 2010.

Thomas Castellanos ranks third in the country for rushing yards by a quarterback with 957. The UCF transfer threw for 15 touchdowns – including seven to Lewis Bond – and ran for 11 during the regular year.

Coach Jeff Hafley feels that Castellanos is throwing the ball as well as he has as an Eagle.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Hafley said. “I think we’re only seeing the very surface of it.”

The bowl will offer a glimpse of Boston College’s future. Team-leading linebacker and captain Vinny DePalma (87 total tackles) is one of only three graduate students listed as a definite starter on the depth chart.

“That’s rare around college football right now,” Hafley said. “The guys that are gonna play in this game, maybe less than five are leaving. I think it’s really important to keep building.”

The Eagles have been bowl eligible four times since 2018, but only the 2020 Birmingham Bowl was actually played due to weather or COVID-19 protocols during that stretch.

Louisville beat Cincinnati 24-7 in the inaugural Fenway Bowl in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Bowl Games Round-Up: USC Victorious

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SAN DIEGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miller Moss passed for a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first career start to lead Southern California to a 42-28 victory over No. 15 Louisville on Wednesday night in California.

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Moss got the start due to 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams opting out of the game and he was up to the task, completing 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards with one interception while setting the school’s bowl record for passing touchdowns.

Tahj Washington caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans (8-5), who won for just the second time in their past seven games. Ja’Kobi Lane also had two scoring receptions, Duce Robinson had one and Kyron Hudson caught one while also blocking a punt.

Isaac Guerendo rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns and also caught five passes for 42 yards for the Cardinals (10-4), getting extra work after star runner Jawhar Jordan opted out of the game. Jack Plummer completed 21 of 25 passes for 141 yards.

Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 23

Alan Bowman passed for 402 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma State defeated Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston.

Rashod Owens caught two of Bowman’s touchdown passes and finished with 164 yards on 10 receptions for the No. 20 Cowboys (10-4), who finished with 570 total yards. Brennan Presley added 16 catches for 152 yards. Ollie Gordon II, the nation’s leading rusher and the winner of the Doak Walker Award, produced 118 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

Aggies quarterback Jaylen Henderson injured his right arm on the first play of the game and was replaced by Marcel Reed. The freshman backup completed 20 of 33 passes for 361 yards and amassed 29 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries for Texas A&M (7-6).

Military Bowl: Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20

Kyron Drones rushed for a career-best 176 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Virginia Tech to a victory over Tulane in Annapolis, Maryland.

The teams combined for eight fumbles (losing five) in wet and slippery conditions. The Green Wave lost all three of their fumbles.

Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies rolled up 362 yards on the ground. Drones completed 13 of 21 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score.

Duke’s May Bowl: West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10

Lee Kpogba’s 12 tackles led the West Virginia defense as the Mountaineers defeated North Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

WVU quarterback Garrett Greene was 11-of-22 passing for 204 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Mountaineers with 75 yards rushing. North Carolina lost for the fifth time in its past seven games, and UNC quarterback Conner Harrell was 18-of-27 passing for 199 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

After forcing a North Carolina punt, the Mountaineers went 78 yards in two plays to open a three-score advantage. Jahiem White ran to the end zone from 11 yards out to give West Virginia a 27-10 lead with 12:48 left in the game.

–Field Level Media

NCAA: Two-Time Transfers Eligible

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CHARLESTON, W VIRGINIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NCAA has been notifying member schools that two-time transfers will be eligible to participate in their chosen sports, at least temporarily, and bypass the “year in residency” rule.

The change in policy came after a federal judge in Charleston, West Virginia issued a temporary 14-day restraining order against the NCAA, who were denying athletes the chance to compete at their new schools for one year upon second transfer.

The lawsuit was filed by the states of West Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee and stated the requirement of two-time transfers to sit out a year violated antitrust law. The state of Ohio was at the forefront of the suit.

The decision applies to all student athletes under NCAA jurisdiction in the United States.

“As a result of today’s decision impacting Division I student-athletes, the Association will not enforce the year in residency requirement for multiple-time transfers and will begin notifying member schools,” the NCAA said in a statement to The Athletic.

 

 

One athlete immediately impacted is West Virginia men’s basketball player RaeQuan Battle, who transferred from Montana State after playing two seasons for the Big Sky school. Battle began his college career playing two seasons for Washington of the Pac-12.

He had applied for a waiver under the NCAA’s mental-health provision but was denied in late October. Wednesday’s ruling will potentially allow Battle to play Saturday when the Mountaineers play UMass in Springfield, Mass.

West Virginia would be happy to see Battle on the court as he averaged 17.7 points last season while leading Montana State to the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

“Very pleased our state-based coalition was able to achieve a temporary restraining order against the NCAA’s transfer rule,” West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey posted on social media. “Big win for RaeQuan Battle!”

A second hearing will be heard when the restraining order expires in two weeks when a preliminary injunction potentially could be issued. That would keep athletes in question eligible until a potential trial takes place.

According to The Athletic’s report, Ohio attorney general Dave Yost said that at least 99 athletes had been denied a waiver to compete immediately upon a second transfer and that another 44 are awaiting a decision on a waiver.

–Field Level Media

NCAA Football: Let’s Go Bowling

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Alabama QB  Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and No. 8 Alabama rolled to a crucial upset by dispatching top-ranked Georgia 27-24 in the Southeastern Conference title game on Saturday in Georgia.

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Jermaine Burton and Jamarion Miller caught touchdown passes and Roydell Williams scored on a run as the Crimson Tide (12-1) won their 11th consecutive game. The victory snapped Georgia’s SEC record 29-game winning streak and greatly bolsters Alabama’s hopes of crashing the four-team College Football Playoff field.

Kendall Milton rushed for two touchdowns and Carson Beck added one for Georgia (12-1). Beck completed 21 of 29 passes for 243 yards. Bulldogs star Brock Bowers played despite an ankle injury but was largely ineffective, with five receptions for 53 yards.

Milroe was 13-of-23 passing for 192 yards for the Crimson Tide and was named MVP of the game. The two-time defending national champion Bulldogs lost to Alabama for the eighth time in the past nine meetings.

No. 7 Texas 49, No. 18 Oklahoma State 21

Quinn Ewers passed for a record 452 yards and four touchdowns, and the Longhorns’ defense did the rest in a shellacking of the Cowboys in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.

Texas (12-1) captured its first Big 12 title since 2009. Ewers completed his first 12 passes of the game to eight different receivers and finished 35-for-46 while throwing for the most yards ever in a Big 12 championship game.

The Longhorns’ defense did not allow Oklahoma State (9-4) to broach the 200-yard barrier until the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, but star running back Ollie Gordon, the Big 12’s offensive player of the year, managed only 34 yards on 13 carries.

SMU 26, No. 22 Tulane 14

Kevin Jennings threw a touchdown pass in his first college start, the Mustangs’ defense dominated and SMU defeated the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference championship game in New Orleans.

Jennings, a redshirt freshman who had thrown just 24 passes this season, stepped in for injured Preston Stone and overcame three turnovers by passing for 203 yards and rushing for 63. The Mustangs (11-2) won the conference title in their last season before departing for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Michael Pratt passed for 238 yards, but Makhi Hughes, the AAC’s leading rusher who rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of his past eight games entering Saturday, managed just 44 yards on 11 carries for the Green Wave (11-2), who had won 10 straight games.

–Field Level Media

Florida State Makes a Statement

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CHARLOTTE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 4-ranked Florida State relied on a smothering defense and a two-headed ground attack to defeat No. 14 Louisville 16-6 in the ACC championship game Saturday night in North Carolina.

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Now the Seminoles (13-0) will await their postseason fate as the College Football Playoff committee weighs where to rank them without their injured star quarterback, Jordan Travis.

With No. 2 quarterback Tate Rodemaker held out Saturday due to a concussion, true freshman Brock Glenn made his first start and completed 8 of 21 passes for 55 yards.

Lawrance Toafili took 10 carries for 118 yards and the game’s only touchdown and Trey Benson added 67 rushing yards for Florida State.

Meanwhile, Louisville (10-3) was held to 188 total yards, with Jack Plummer going 14-for-36 for 111 yards and an interception. Braden Fiske had three of Florida State’s seven sacks, including one on fourth down with 2:35 to play. Jared Verse recorded two sacks.

The teams combined to start 0-for-9 on third downs as defense dominated the first quarter. A premature snap spoiled the Seminoles’ fifth third-down attempt, but Ryan Fitzgerald got them on the board with a 45-yard field goal with 10:32 before halftime.

Later, a 24-yard Louisville punt set Florida State up at the Cardinals’ 38-yard line for a 2-minute drill. But after Glenn lost 9 yards on a sack, Fitzgerald’s second 45-yard field-goal attempt of the night missed wide left, and it was just 3-0 at halftime.

The Cardinals went 56 yards in 13 plays on their first drive of the second half, ending in Brock Travelstead’s 36-yard field goal to tie the game. Jamari Thrash had two 11-yard receptions to power the drive.

But the Seminoles immediately responded when Toafili took a direct snap, hung back momentarily, then ran 73 yards down the right sideline to the Louisville 2. Toafili powered into the end zone on the next play at the 6:20 mark of the third quarter.

After Travelstead’s 33-yard field goal cut it to 10-6 with 13:36 left in regulation, Louisville forced a three-and-out. The Cardinals broke through the Seminoles’ punt protection and Jimmy Calloway tackled punter Alex Mastromanno at the 12-yard line.

But on third down, Plummer forced a throw in the middle of the end zone and Tatum Bethune intercepted it to quash Louisville’s golden opportunity.

Louisville’s final three drives netted a loss of 15 yards. Fitzgerald converted from 33 yards and 40 yards during the final 3:13 for the Seminoles’ final margin.

–Field Level Media

NCAA Football: Ohio St Drops to No. 6

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NEW YORK – (Staff and AP wirev service report) – Ohio State’s loss to Michigan sent the Buckeyes plummeting four spots to No. 6, making room for Oregon to move into the first five of the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday.

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Georgia held the No. 1 spot for the 24th straight week, gaining 52 of 62 first-place votes. The other 10 votes went to Michigan, who defeated Ohio State 30-24 and rose one place to No. 2.

Washington moved to No. 3, with Florida State also climbing one rung to No. 4.

The top four teams all are 12-0.

Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Washington all have cemented berths in their respective conference championship games. The Huskies will meet No. 5 Oregon (11-1) in the Pac-12 title game Friday at Las Vegas.

This is the first time the Pac-12, which is set to disband after this season as 10 teams defect to other leagues, had two teams in the top five since the last ranking of the 2016 season.

The College Football Playoff committee ultimately determines the four teams that will compete for the national championship, and its latest rankings will be unveiled on Tuesday.

Following No. 6 Ohio State are two other 11-1 teams — No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama.

No. 9 Missouri and No. 10 Penn State, both 10-2, round out the top 10.

With a loss to Kentucky, Louisville fell out of the top 10 and dropped six places to No. 15. That allowed No. 11 Ole Miss to move up one place, followed by Oklahoma, LSU and Arizona.

Also dropping six spots was No. 21 Oregon State, which lost 31-7 to Oregon.

Out of the Top 25 this week are Kansas State and Tennessee. They were replaced by No. 21 North Carolina State and No. 25 SMU.

–Field Level Media