More Movement In CFP Rankings: Get Ready For A Wild Sprint To The Finish

The latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings came out on Tuesday night, and there was a shakeup at the back end of the top 12. Tennessee and SMU vaulted into the No. 8 and No. 9 spots, respectively, after being on the outside looking in last weekend. Simply put, win and each of them are in.

However, Indiana tumbled all the way down to No. 10 after suffering its first loss of the season, and Alabama fell six spots and out of the projected 12-team bracket after getting smoked by Oklahoma in Norman.

It’s setting up for a wild sprint to the finish in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format.

Let’s take a look at the rankings (*= in the playoffs)

1. Oregon*

2. Ohio State*

3. Texas*

4. Penn State*

5. Notre Dame*

6. Miami*

7. Georgia*

8. Tennessee*

9. SMU*

10. Indiana*

11. Boise State*

12. Clemson

13. Alabama

14. Ole Miss

15. South Carolina

16. Arizona State*

17. Tulane

18. Iowa State

19. BYU

20. Texas A&M

21. Missouri

22. UNLV

23. Illinois

24. Kansas State

25. Colorado

Top Five Takeaways

• Notre Dame is in. I don’t care that it lost to Northern Illinois and its opponent this weekend, USC, is hot garbage. There’s no way that the committee will drop them totally out even if they lose to the Trojans. The committee will never admit it, but brand matters. That iconic "golden dome" needs to be in the CFP to maximize its success.

• Indiana should be fine. There was a question going in about Indiana’s future after it was blown out at Ohio State last weekend - its first real test of the season. Since it’s at No. 10 and plays lowly Purdue this weekend, a win will be enough considering the buffer the Hoosiers have behind them in the rankings.

• It’s almost certain that the Big 12 won’t get a bye unless Boise State loses. This was the chance for the selection committee to boost the conference up based on the elevation of Iowa State and Arizona State into the mix with BYU and Colorado. Instead, it seems like there was a glass ceiling with SEC and Big Ten teams peppering the top 15. The committee makes things up as it goes along, but the respect to the "Big 2" conferences has held steady all year.

• Tulane is lurking. That might not seem like much, but it could be huge for the Big 12. Why? The top five conference champions get automatic bids. Right now, the Big 12 is in line for that coveted fifth auto bid. However, the Green Wave are one spot behind Arizona State. If the Big 12 continues to cannibalize itself, Tulane and the AAC might grab that automatic spot. Now that would cause all kinds of chaos.

• The Palmetto Bowl means EVERYTHING. Clemson is the last team out, but can change that if one domino falls or the Tigers win the ACC. South Carolina can’t win the SEC Championship Game, but it can notch a quality win over a ranked opponent to close out the regular season with a 9-3 record. Would the Gamecocks jump Alabama even though they don’t own the head-to-head win? It could turn into the biggest talking point on Selection Sunday.

What Would The Bracket Look Like?

First Round:

9. Tennessee

8. Georgia

12. Arizona State

5. Ohio State

10. SMU

7. Notre Dame

11. Indiana

6. Penn State

Quarterfinals:

12/5 Winner

4. Boise State (conference champion)

9/8 Winner

1. Oregon (conference champion)

11/6 Winner

3. Miami (conference champion

10/7 Winner

2. Texas (conference champion)