The fifth college football poll was released Tuesday. It is conference championship weekend, where the fates of most of the teams will be decided this weekend.
College Football’s Top of the Field
The Georgia Bulldogs remain at the top at No. 1, as they have continued to prove themselves all season.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1729654327361273966
Michigan moves up to the No. 2 spot after defeating Ohio State 30-24. The Wolverines should be a lock for the College Football Playoffs if they take care of business against Iowa in the Big Ten championship this weekend.
We move up to 2️⃣ in the latest CFP rankings#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/6Y1nCoxZVu
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) November 29, 2023
Washington comes in at the No. 3 spot this week. Although, they only won by a field goal against Washington State this past weekend. They will take on Oregon in the Pac-12 championship this weekend.
Florida State holds the last top 4 spot after defeating Florida last weekend. The Seminoles will take on the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Championship game on Saturday. If they take care of business, they should most likely make it in the playoffs, but a lot about the Seminoles’ fate depends on the rest of the field.
Other Contenders
Conference Championship weekend could potentially shake up the rankings a lot. Oregon sits right outside of the bubble at No. 5 and if they can beat Washington this weekend, they could take the Huskies spot in the CFP.
Ohio State moves down to No. 6 this week after the tough loss in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes probably do not have a chance to get in, especially since they are not playing in the Big Ten championship this weekend.
Texas remains at No. 7 this week after beating Texas Tech in dominant fashion, 57-7 last week. The Longhorns play No. 18 Oklahoma State in the Big-12 championship this weekend. Texas has a notable win over Alabama, so if they win the Big-12 championship game this weekend, they have a strong case. It is unlikely that they will make the top 4, but if the top of the field experiences a major shakeup, the Longhorns have a strong resume.
Alabama sits at No. 8. The Tide play Georgia in the SEC championship on Saturday. If Alabama can pull out a win, then that opens up a debate if they are worthy to be in the top 4 teams, but a lot would depend on how the other games go as well. But, if they win, they are a dark horse to make the CFP and shake up the field.
Rest of the College Football Field
Here’s a look at the rest of the 25-team field.
https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1729654345652662658
The rest of the field is not much of a surprise as there is little movement in the ten through twenty-five spots. Clemson re-enters the rankings this week at No. 23 as they began their season not looking like the dominant Clemson program of the last decade. But then, they turned things around and put together four consecutive wins to end their regular season 8-4. It is only the second time in the last decade the Tigers will not be playing in the ACC championship.
The final rankings of the season will be released on Sunday, December 3, where the four teams in the playoffs will be set.