College football rankings: Predicting the AP top 25 poll for Selection Day

Where things should stand in the AP top 25 college football rankings as we come out of Championship Week and into Selection Day.

Making our prediction for the AP top 25 college football rankings heading into playoff selection day. / USA Today Sports | Imagn

As we pick up the pieces from a chaotic Championship Week of games on Saturday, let’s look ahead to the AP top 25 college football rankings as we head into Selection Day.

Who’s moving up? Who’s falling down?

Note: This isn’t our ranking of the best teams, but our prediction for how AP top 25 voters will slot them in the official poll on Sunday.

Predicting the AP top 25 college football rankings for Selection Day

25. UNLV. The Rebels had a chance to knock off Boise State on the blue turf, but didn’t have enough for the upset in the Mountain West title game.

24. Memphis. Coming off that huge upset win over Tulane, the Tigers finished 10-2.

23. Syracuse. A big upset win over Miami in the finale brings the Orange to 9-3.

22. Missouri. Something of a step back from last year’s 11-win effort, but the Tigers have a shot at 10 wins when they learn what bowl they’ll play in.

21. Illinois. A solid 9-3 outing for the Illini, who now await their bowl assignment.

20. Colorado. Coach Prime and his resurgent 9-3 Buffaloes are heading to a bowl, which we should see Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter both play in.

19. Iowa State. The Cyclones came out flat against the Sun Devils in the Big 12 Championship Game, forfeiting any right they would’ve had to make the playoff.

18. Army. A virtually perfect game from the Black Knights to win the AAC title, the school’s first-ever conference championship, after dominating Tulane.

17. BYU. If not for that two-game losing streak near the end of the season, the Cougars could’ve been in the Big 12 title game and in the playoff picture.

16. Ole Miss. The Rebels aren’t pleased with being left out of the fun, especially given they trounced a South Carolina team that likely playoff team Alabama only narrowly beat.

15. Miami. Mario Cristobal has to be kicking himself after a late loss to Syracuse ended the Hurricanes’ shot at the College Football Playoff.

14. SMU. Kevin Jennings led a gutsy 79 yard drive to tie Clemson in the ACC title game, but couldn’t hold off a last-second field goal in a tough loss, but we could still see the Mustangs in the playoff given the close result.

13. Clemson. After opening up a big lead on SMU, the Tigers found themselves in a tie with under a minute left, but came up with the field goal as time ran out to win the ACC Championship Game and clinch a spot in the playoff.

12. South Carolina. Shane Beamer has been lobbying for his Gamecocks to make the playoff, but it doesn’t appear the committee will arrange their seeding to his satisfaction.

11. Alabama. We should see the Tide in the playoff despite their three losses, especially since they own a win against the current SEC champion.

10. Arizona State. Cam Skattebo rumbled for 170 yards on the ground as the Sun Devils trounced the Cyclones to win the Big 12 title and clinch a spot in the playoff.

9. Boise State. Ashton Jeanty ran for another 209 yards and a touchdown as the Broncos won the Mountain West title over UNLV, and now we wait to see if they get a first-round bye.

8. Indiana. It looks like the Hoosiers will go on the road in the first round of the College Football Playoff, where they’ll get their biggest test yet.

7. Penn State. At first it looked like the Nittany Lions were about to get routed by Oregon, but they stormed back to make it interesting, albeit in a losing effort for the Big Ten title, although they’re still likely to host a first-round playoff game.

6. Ohio State. The current projection has the Buckeyes hosting a first-round playoff game.

5. Tennessee. After winning 10 games, the Vols await their playoff seeding and to see whether they’ll play at home or on the road in the first round.

4. Texas. A second loss to Georgia came at the worst time, in the SEC Championship Game, as it deprived the Longhorns that first-round bye in the playoff, but they could still get a home game to start off.

3. Notre Dame. A virtual certainty that the Irish will host a first-round game in the College Football Playoff.

2. Georgia. Another signature victory over the Longhorns, this time for the SEC championship in a monster result that should give the Bulldogs a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

1. Oregon. While the Ducks got more of a game than they expected, they ultimately got past Penn State to win the Big Ten championship in their first year in the conference.

How about the Playoff? Our prediction for the 2024 bracket is live

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