College Football Playoff rankings: Georgia passes Ohio State for No. 1 in updated Top 25 ahead of Week 12

25. Kansas Jayhawks (7-3)
24. Tulane Green Wave (9-1)
23. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3)
22. Utah Utes (7-3)
21. Kansas State Wildcats (7-3)
20. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-2)

The battle to represent the Group of Five conferences in a New Year’s Six bowl game is heating up, and while Tulane remains in pole position, it faces stiff competition from undefeated Liberty and others. Elsewhere in the Nos. 25-20 range, Oklahoma State tumbles in the rankings this week after seeing its winning streak snapped in blowout fashion.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 20

Quarterback Sam Hartman faces a unique challenge this week in playing against his former Wake Forest team. While with the Demon Deacons, Hartman set the ACC career record for passing touchdowns. Now at Notre Dame, the veteran signal-caller and his Fighting Irish are on the outside looking in for a New Year’s Six game, but they could continue their climb back up the rankings and compete for a spot in a prominent bowl.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 13

Tennessee slipped in the rankings after sustaining its most lopsided defeat of the season: a 36-7 trouncing at the hands of Missouri. Making matters worse: The Vols lost wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. for the rest of the regular season after he left the game with an injury. The SEC East title is well out of the picture now, but Tennessee still has an opportunity to make a statement this week against Georgia.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 21

Arizona is among the hottest teams in college football, and of its four-straight wins, three came against ranked opponents. Jedd Fisch has an opportunity this week to not only extend that string of victories but also to notch yet another Top 25 win on his resume, which continues to become more and more impressive by the week. Quarterback Noah Fifita is on an absolute tear, having passed for multiple touchdowns in five of his first six starts, but he faces his toughest test to date this week in the vaunted Utah defense.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 22

Iowa’s 22-0 win over Rutgers was an offensive explosion by the Hawkeyes’ standards as they racked up 402 yards of total offense in their first shutout victory of the season. It may not play the most attractive brand of football, but Iowa has a clear recipe for success as it stands at 8-2 on the year and is just one win away from locking up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 19

LSU will not make the CFP as a three-loss team, but Jayden Daniels has plenty to play for on an individual level. The Tigers’ quarterback is fresh off a historic performance in which he became the first FBS player to rack up 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game. His Heisman Trophy campaign is alive and well even though LSU has no path to an SEC title or Playoff berth.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 17

Oklahoma rebounded in the rankings this week after snapping a two-game losing streak, and it still has an outside chance of reaching the Big 12 title game. The Sooners’ loftiest goals are almost certainly off the table, though, as a pair of defeats will likely prove too much to overcome in their attempts to land a spot in the Playoff. Brent Venables clearly has his program on the right trajectory, though.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 9

Ole Miss is now 0-2 against SEC divisional frontrunners after suffering a crushing 52-17 loss at Georgia. The Rebels could very well land in a New Year’s Six game, but they likely cannot afford another slip-up, and they might need a bit of help. Lane Kiffin might not quite have the roster necessary to compete at the highest level of his conference, but a 10-win season is still within reach, and that would constitute a very successful year at Ole Miss.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 10

Penn State fell to 4-16 against Michigan and Ohio State under James Franklin with a 24-15 loss to the Wolverines at home last weekend. The Nittany Lions are out of Big Ten title contention as they lack the tiebreaker over either of the undefeated elites. They now gear up to face Rutgers’ stingy defense with quarterback Drew Allar seeking to bounce back after completing just 10-of-22 passes for a season-low 70 yards in the smash-mouth battle against Michigan.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 12

Oregon State is playing like a team with something to prove after being left in the dust during the offseason conference realignment chaos. It has a major opportunity to make a statement on the national stage Saturday when it hosts Washington in the biggest game of college football’s Week 12 slate. Jonathan Smith and Co. control their own destiny in the Pac-12 title race but need a win against the Huskies to keep those hopes alive.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 11

A Louisville victory this weekend would lock up an ACC Championship Game berth and guarantee a showdown between the Cardinals and Florida State. Winning out is Louisville's only road to being in the CFP conversation at the end of the regular season, and even with a well-rounded roster and tremendous coaching from Jeff Brohm, doing so would be no easy feat. For Brohm to lead his team to a top-10 ranking in his debut campaign at the helm is a major accomplishment.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 14

Running back Cody Schrader made history in his last time out, becoming the first player in SEC history and 10th player in FBS history to rack up 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in a single game. His contributions to Missouri’s throttling of Tennessee were nothing short of astonishing, and they helped the Tigers make a significant leap in the CFP rankings. Mizzou will likely be favored in each of its next two games, suggesting a 10-win season for Eli Drinkwitz is well within reach.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 8

It wouldn’t be November without Alabama making a push for the College Football Playoff. Its selection for the four-team field is still partially out of its hands, but the Crimson Tide can build a highly competitive resume should it be perfect the rest of the way. With quarterback Jalen Milroe seemingly getting better by the week and Nick Saban still patrolling the sidelines, Alabama cannot be counted out from navigating its way back to national championship contention.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 7

Texas has a strong case to be the highest-ranked 9-1 team, but there is no doubt the Longhorns must do a better job of closing out games. Last week, Steve Sarkisian’s team surrendered 20 fourth-quarter points to TCU and needed a clutch third-down conversion to hang on. That came a week after Kansas State scored 16 points in the final period to force overtime. Texas needs at least one or two teams ahead of it in the rankings to slip up, and it must also take care of its own business.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 6

The committee still views Oregon as the nation’s premier one-loss team, and last week’s win over USC did nothing to change its status as a very strong CFP candidate. More likely than not, the Ducks will get another chance at toppling undefeated Washington when they meet up in a possible rematch in the Pac-12 title game, and winning that battle would make them a prime candidate for one of the final spots in the four-team field.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 5

Michael Penix Jr. remains on pace for a shot at the Heisman Trophy, but coming out of a hostile environment at Reser Stadium against a stout Oregon State defense unscathed is no certainty. Should the Huskies lose during this weekend’s road trip, their margin for error will be reduced to zero as they seek to represent the dying Pac-12 on the biggest stage of college football’s postseason. A win over the Beavers, however, pushes them one step away from their first perfect regular season in more than 30 years.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 4

Even as one of the few remaining unbeatens, Florida State might not be able to afford a loss if it is to make the Playoff. Fortunately for the Seminoles, games against North Alabama, Florida and likely Louisville in the ACC title game all project as winnable matchups. FSU has all the talent it needs to reach the CFP, but could it push for the national championship? That is another task altogether.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 3

Michigan passed its first big test of the season over the weekend, dismantling the Penn State offense en route to a 24-15 win and solidifying its campaign as a national championship contender. The Wolverines will again be without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline when they travel to Maryland, though the head coach is allowed to help his team prepare throughout the week amid his Big Ten-enforced suspension. Even if Michigan was to slip up in a potential look-ahead spot, it would still play for the East division title in the looming rivalry showdown with Ohio State.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 1

Ohio State went into cruise control last weekend after jumping out to a 35-3 first-half lead over Michigan State. Heisman Trophy contender Marvin Harrison Jr. hauled in seven catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns and could be in line for another outstanding performance against Minnesota, which just allowed 49 points to Purdue. Whether the offense can hold up in the regular-season finale will go a long way in ultimately deciding the Buckeyes’ fate.

Last week’s playoff ranking: No. 2

The Bulldogs might be peaking at the right time. The strength-of-schedule argument against Georgia gets flimsier by the week as it squashes ranked opponents, and it receives its third-straight opportunity to do so this weekend at Tennessee. Quarterback Carson Beck and running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards combined for six touchdowns last Saturday as Georgia exploded for its best offensive showing of the year, against a top-10 team in Ole Miss, no less.