College Football Playoff Rankings: Projected Top 10 after Week 13

Let’s take a look at the College Football Playoff projections after the 13th week the 2016 season.

We are approaching the final week of the college football season and there are some teams sticking out as College Football Playoff contenders. One of the top four teams went down in Week 13, but it wasn’t via upset.

With rivalry week dominating headlines, the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes were the topic of conversation. Although Alabama and Auburn also matched up for the Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide were overwhelming favorites and performed as such.

As for the Wolverines and Buckeyes, half of the College Football Playoff’s top four was battling it out in Columbus. The game was controlled by Michigan through three-plus quarters, but Ohio State came on late and sent the game into overtime. The Buckeyes eventually won in double-overtime and the Wolverines dropped their second game in three weeks.

Michigan may have been the only team in the top 10 to lose last week, but it did shake things up in the rankings. A few teams moved up, some remained the same and the Wolverines dropped a bit. Will there be two teams from one conference in the playoff this year for the first time or will the Buckeyes be knocked out in a couple of weeks for not playing in the Big Ten title game?

After another interesting week, which teams will rank in the top 10 of the Week 14 College Football Playoff standings?

Nov 19, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) celebrates with wide receiver James Washington (28) after running for a touchdown during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma State Cowboys

9-2, Last Week: 10

Oklahoma State had a much-needed week off before the showdown in Norman next Saturday afternoon. For yet another season, the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State game could decide the conference champion and the Sooners have had the better luck in years past.

However, the Cowboys are clicking on all cylinders lately, winning seven straight games after starting the season just 2-2 with losses to Baylor and Central Michigan. This team has made a complete 180-degree turn and looks completely improved since the first month of the year.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys won’t be making any moves up the rankings this week because of the lack of upsets in the top 10. However, if enough happens in front of them this week and they beat Oklahoma on Saturday, then there’s a good chance the Cowboys will make a push at one of those top four spots.

It would almost take a miracle, but if you’ve watched the Cowboys’ season, it took a miracle for Central Michigan to defeat Oklahoma State, but it still happened on a last-second Hail Mary. That could be the difference between a sure playoff berth and this No. 10 ranking.

Nov 26, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau (13) prepares to pass the ball in the first half against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Buffaloes

10-2, Last Week: 9

Colorado is one of the feel-good stories of college football this season. No one knew what to make of the Buffaloes early on as they were unranked to start the year. However, they held their own against Michigan in Ann Arbor, racing out to a big lead before Sefo Liufau suffered an injury and was taken out.

Steven Montez didn’t have the same success against a tough Wolverines defense and they sparked a comeback. People still talk about the possibilities of this Colorado team beating Michigan if Liufau was never injured.

Heck, this team might even be undefeated right now seeing as the Buffaloes lost to USC a couple weeks later without a healthy Liufau. When he gets the start, Colorado is perfect.

Still, there’s no reason to dwell on the past when the present is so intriguing. The Buffaloes won the division and will be playing the Washington Huskies for the Pac-12 title game. This is one of the better matchups of championship week and it will pin two top-10 foes against each other with a playoff spot potentially on the line.

Could Colorado jump into the top four with a win over Washington?

Nov 19, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Jordan Evans (26) reacts after breaking up a pass during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma Sooners

9-2, Last Week: 8

Oklahoma could be that team to really shock the college football world this season and go from No. 3 in the country to start the year, to 1-2 and unranked to potentially playoff bound. The Sooners had a rough go of things early on, losing to Houston in the season-opener and then again to Ohio State just two games later.

Baker Mayfield was looking quite pedestrian for being a Heisman finalist last season, but he has since turned things around. He is the main reason why this team is on an eight-game win streak and playing for a conference title against Oklahoma State this weekend.

No one thought the Sooners would be in this position after the start to the season that they had, but that’s just how good they’ve been over the past two months. Mayfield has been putting up incredible numbers, completing 71 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards and 35 touchdowns with only eight picks.

The Sooners, like the Cowboys of Oklahoma State, got a bye in Week 13 to prepare for a huge matchup in Norman in Week 14. This will decide the Big 12 champion and if the Sooners win, I would almost expect them to jump a few spots and at least stand on the verge of the playoff.

Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions football players carry the Land-Grant trophy following the competition of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

Penn State Nittany Lions

10-2, Last Week: 7

After finding out Ohio State had beaten Michigan in The Game, the Nittany Lions knew they had to just take care of business against a reeling Michigan State team in order to make their first trip to a Big Ten title game in its existence.

Penn State trailed 12-10 at halftime and it was looking like the Spartans might just pull off the upset and kill the hopes of the Nittany Lions, but James Franklin’s team came out firing in the second half, out-scoring the Spartans 35-0.

Trace McSorley had the best game of his career, passing for 376 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title game in his first year as the starter. This team has improved tenfold from the squad we saw at the beginning of the season that lost to Michigan by 39 points.

The win puts the Nittany Lions in a position to take down a potential top-five team in the country for the Big Ten championship and even use that as a play-in for the playoff. While a No. 7 vs. No. 5 matchup doesn’t necessarily mean a playoff berth, if one of the top four teams lose, the winner of the Big Ten Championship is likely in.

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan Wolverines

10-2, Last Week: 3

Michigan still has to feel a bit slighted. There were some questionable calls in Columbus on Saturday during The Game, but the Wolverines did have plenty of chances to put the Buckeyes away and they failed to do so. Jim Harbaugh even went on his post-game rant about the officiating being poor, seeming like a whiney coach. Still, Michigan barely drops this week.

I have to rank the Wolverines ahead of Penn State for now just because they beat the Nittany Lions 49-10 earlier this season. Sure, both teams have improved and a matchup now would be much closer, but the head-to-head beatdown keeps Michigan at No. 6 while Penn State is No. 7.

Any other season and the Wolverines might drop to No. 7 or No. 8, but the way this year is going with head-to-heads dominating the top-10 rankings, they have to stay at six.

Harbaugh made the interesting decision to go with Wilton Speight who was rumored to have a broken collarbone a couple of weeks ago, suffered against Iowa. However, the junior quarterback threw a couple of costly interceptions which gave the Buckeyes new life. He may not have been 100 percent, but Harbaugh felt that it was the right choice.

Michigan still has a shot to make the playoff if everything goes right for them in terms of teams ahead of the Wolverines losing. It’s a long-shot, but still possible.

Nov 26, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement (6) reacts after running for a touchdown during the third quarter against Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin Badgers

10-2, Last Week: 6

Wisconsin benefits from a Michigan loss to Penn State to move up a spot in this week’s rankings, in my opinion. When the Wolverines lost to Iowa a couple of weeks ago, I thought that they might fall below Wisconsin, but that didn’t happen. Michigan stayed at No. 3 and Wisconsin still hovered around 7-8.

Now that the Badgers are 10-2 after a nice two-touchdown win over Minnesota, they have clinched the Big Ten West and yet another trip to the conference title game. Each Big Ten Championship has had either Wisconsin or Michigan State, or both, since its inauguration in 2011.

It’s the Badgers’ turn to have a shot at the Big Ten title once again and a win over Penn State on Saturday would be gigantic. Not only are the Badgers in a better position to make the playoff if they win, but they are arguably the better team and would represent the Big Ten more impressively than Penn State.

Alex Hornibrook may have lost his starting job to Bart Houston which shouldn’t be that big of a surprise seeing as he’s been struggling for weeks. If the Badgers make it to the playoff, it will be because of their defense.

Nov 25, 2016; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) throws a pass against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Martin Stadium. The Huskies won 45-17. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Huskies

11-1, Last Week: 5

There just aren’t that many teams in the Pac-12 that can compete with the Washington Huskies. While it’d be exciting to see a rematch of USC and Washington in the conference championship this weekend, it will be the Huskies playing the biggest surprise of the Pac-12 this season, Colorado.

People have been knocking Washington’s strength of schedule this year and that could be put to rest against the Buffaloes who I believe will come in at No. 9 in this week’s playoff rankings. If Washington wins, that would give the Huskies four wins over teams that were, at the time, ranked.

Luckily for Washington, that 44-6 win over Stanford is looking better now that the Cardinal are creeping back up the rankings. Add that to victories over Utah and Washington State and you have a decent resume.

The Week 13 victory over No. 23 Washington State on the road was more impressive than folks realize. The Cougars were red-hot coming into the game and a trip to the Pac-12 title was on the line. Washington took care of business and blew out Washington State, 45-17.

Nov 26, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 56-7. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson Tigers

11-1, Last Week: 4

Clemson has had no issue dismantling inferior opponents, for the most part, this season. Although the Pittsburgh Panthers, who now find themselves ranked in the AP Poll, came into Death Valley and pulled out an upset, Clemson disposed of a bowl eligible South Carolina team with ease in Week 13.

It wasn’t much of a contest as Dabo Swinney’s team came out angry and proved that it deserved one of those four playoff spots for the second straight season.

In fact, Deshaun Watson had as many incompletions Saturday against the Gamecocks, six, as he did touchdown passes. He took a major step in the right direction after struggling to find a rhythm for the past couple of weeks, even leading to an upset loss against Pittsburgh at home two games ago.

After Florida State won the national title after the 2013 season and made the playoff in 2014, the Clemson Tigers have represented the ACC for the past two years. The Tigers had a minor slip-up this season but as long as they win the conference title, they will be guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates after scoring the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines in the second overtime at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime.Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes

11-1, Last Week: 2

With one side complaining about poor calls by the referees, the other benefitted from some iffy rulings from the zebras. However, you can’t blame the outcome of a game on officiating when the Wolverines had multiple chances to put Ohio State away and just couldn’t do so.

The Buckeyes were like cockroaches on Saturday afternoon during The Game. As much as Michigan dominated, Ohio State stayed alive and intercepted a couple of passes which led to touchdowns and even forced a fumble at the 1-yard-line, preventing a huge Michigan touchdown in the second half.

Ohio State survived yet another scare and will remain at No. 2 in the playoff rankings this week, without a doubt. Although the Buckeyes aren’t headed to the Big Ten title game, they will likely be in the playoff, along with Alabama, no matter what.

If, for some reason, the playoff committee decides to bump the Buckeyes from that No. 2 spot after championship week, you will hear plenty of chatter from the Midwest about how Ohio State would be a better matchup with Alabama than any other team that would potentially jump them.

Urban Meyer is wishing he had that Penn State game back, though.

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles up the field against the Auburn Tigers during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated the Auburn Tigers 30-12. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide

12-0, Last Week: 1

Anyone who thinks the Tide should be any lower than No. 1 obviously hasn’t watched this team dominate all season long. First of all, they’re one of two teams in the country with an unbeaten record and second, they have seven wins over teams that were ranked at the time.

That number might just grow to eight when the Tide play Florida in the SEC Championship this weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alabama win by double-digits like it did last season and hold Florida’s offense in check completely.

Jalen Hurts continues to lead one of the best teams in the nation as probably the best freshman quarterback out there.