College Football Playoff Rankings: SEC and Big 12 Chaos, Oregon Ducks Reign

Big changes in the College Football Playoff Rankings this week as the Indiana Hoosiers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Ole Miss Rebels all suffered upset losses. The Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week while the Ohio State Buckeyes are No. 2.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) makes a catch for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff Rankings were released on Tuesday evening and the Oregon Ducks hold the No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive week. Behind them, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes cemented themselves as a top team in the country after defeating the then-No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers.

Big movers within the top-12: Clemson catapulted up five spots to No. 12, Indiana falls five spots to No. 10, SMU rises four spots to No. 9, Tennessee Volunteers rise three spots to No. 8, Georgia up three spots to No. 7.

The Big Ten has three of the top five ranked teams.

The arguments surrounding Indiana's ranking with a previously undefeated record centered around the Hoosiers' weak strength of schedule and lack of quality opponents. They finally faced a highly-ranked team in the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Indiana lost 38-15.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) makes a catch for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Both teams scored touchdowns after the game was already out of hand in the fourth quarter, seemingly trying to score style points more than anything. Will it be enough to keep Indiana in the playoffs?

Then-ranked No. 7 Alabama lost to unranked Oklahoma 24-3 on the road. The Crimson Tide only rushed for 70 yards, picking up a third loss on the season and effectively eliminating them from the 12-team playoff field.

Some of the biggest movers outside of the top-12... Colorado dropped nine spots to No. 25. Texas A&M dropped five spots to No. 20. BYU dropped five spots to No. 19. Iowa State moved up four spots to No. 18. Arizona State moved up five spots to No. 16. Ole Miss dropped five spots to No. 14. Alabama dropped six spots to No. 13.

In addition to Alabama, a number of SEC teams suffered upset losses and face a tall task of making the postseason. Previously, the Ole Miss Rebels were ranked No. 9 and the Texas A&M Aggies were ranked No. 15, but both they lost their third game of the season to unranked opponents.

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh (13) runs for a first half touchdown during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024 / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some of the biggest beneficiaries from the plethora of upsets over the weekend are Boise State and Clemson.

Big 12 contenders like then-No. 14 BYU and then-No. 16 Colorado both lost, essentially removing their chances of receiving an at-large bid into the 12-team playoff field. If the Big 12's only participant in the College Football Playoff is the winner of the Big 12 Conference Championship, a team like Clemson could sneak into the final remaining spots.

Additionally, the Boise State Broncos have a legitimate chance to earn a first-round bye if they finish as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions. With their only loss coming to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks, Boise State controls their own destiny.

The College Football Playoff Top-12 rankings:

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

With major College Football Playoff implications on the line, this week the Ducks host the unranked Washington Huskies on Saturday, November 30 at 4:30 p.m. PT. Oregon coach Dan Lanning has yet to beat the Huskies.

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