Miami Falls as Week 10 Reshapes College Football Rankings

Week 10’s results are expected to bring major changes to the college football rankings. Miami, last week’s AP No. 1, lost by seven points on the road to No. 4 Notre Dame, and is likely to fall in both the AP poll and the playoff committee’s standings. The report suggests the committee might move the Hurricanes down only one place, to No. 2.

Notre Dame’s win gives the Fighting Irish a prominent victory after the playoff committee placed them at No. 11 in its first ranking. A stronger AP position and a place inside the playoff field are expected to follow, provided they win their remaining games.

Georgia, which beat Ole Miss 42-7 away from home, is viewed as the leading candidate to take over the AP’s No. 1 spot. Alabama also strengthened its playoff case with a road win at LSU. The Crimson Tide had already been placed in the committee’s top five despite two losses; winning out could leave them 10-2 and hosting a first-round playoff game.

Ole Miss and LSU both lost ground after their defeat to Georgia and Alabama, respectively. The Rebels scored seven points, while LSU suffered a home loss and still has no win over a ranked team this season. Ohio State, already outside the committee’s top 12 after an earlier slide, is expected to drop further following a home loss to Oregon. The report says the Buckeyes’ playoff chances are now slim in practice, though not eliminated outright.