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With two undefeated teams (Ohio State and Oklahoma State...coincidentally two OSUs) falling over the past weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners jumped into the playoff picture with the committee touting them as the No. 3 team in the land. The Iowa Hawkeyes also join the party after earning a guaranteed trip to the Big 10 conference championship game. Of course, the moves left another hopeful on the outside looking in, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
| Playoff committee ranking (last week) | S&P+ ranking | Best win, per S&P+ | Worst loss, per S&P+ | If the season ended today | |
| 1 | Clemson (11-0) | 1 | Florida State | Orange Bowl vs. Iowa"]">Orange Bowl vs. Iowa | |
| 2 | Alabama (10-1) | 2 | LSU | Ole Miss | Cotton Bowl vs. Oklahoma"]">Cotton Bowl vs. Oklahoma |
| 3 (7) | Oklahoma (10-1) | 4 | at Baylor | Texas | Cotton Bowl vs. Alabama |
| 4 (5) | Iowa (11-0) | 29 | at Wisconsin | Orange Bowl vs. Clemson | |
| 5 (9) | Michigan State (10-1) | 14 | at Michigan | at Nebraska | Rose Bowl vs. Stanford"]">Rose Bowl vs. Stanford |
| 6 (4) | Notre Dame (10-1) | 9 | Navy | at Clemson | Fiesta or Peach |
| 7 (10) | Baylor (9-1) | 6 | West Virginia | Oklahoma | New Year's Bowl, perhaps Sugar |
| 8 (3) | Ohio State (10-1) | 5 | Penn State | Michigan State | Fiesta or Peach |
| 9 (11) | Stanford (9-2) | 12 | UCLA | at Northwestern | Rose Bowl vs. Michigan State |
| 10 (12) | Michigan (9-2) | 3 | at Penn State | at Utah | |
| 11 (6) | Oklahoma State (10-1) | 19 | at West Virginia | Baylor | New Year's Bowl, perhaps Sugar |
| 12 (8) | Florida (10-1) | 10 | Ole Miss | at LSU | Sugar Bowl vs. Big 12"]">Sugar Bowl vs. Big 12 |
| 13 (14) | Florida State (9-2) | 7 | NC State | at Georgia Tech | |
| 14 (17) | North Carolina (10-1) | 31 | at Pittsburgh | vs. South Carolina | |
| 15 (16) | Navy (9-1) | 11 | South Florida | at Notre Dame | Fiesta or Peach |
| 16 (20) | Northwestern (9-2) | 48 | Stanford | Iowa | |
| 17 (23) | Oregon (8-3) | 33 | at Stanford | Washington State | |
| 18 (22) | Ole Miss (8-3) | 8 | at Alabama | at Memphis | |
| 19 (18) | TCU (9-2) | 18 | West Virginia | at Oklahoma State | |
| 20 (NR) | Washington State (8-3) | 60 | at UCLA | Portland State | |
| 21 (NR) | Mississippi State (8-3) | 23 | at Arkansas | at Texas A&M | |
| 22 (NR) | UCLA (8-3) | 17 | at Utah | Arizona State | |
| 23 (13) | Utah (8-3) | 32 | Michigan | at Arizona | |
| 24 (NR) | Toledo (9-1) | 21 | Arkansas | Northern Illinois | |
| 25 (NR) | Temple (9-2) | 39 | Penn State | at South Florida |
There are those who are upset with the committee this week's release, something that will continue to pervade the college football realm. However, Iowa and Oklahoma are far from being out of woods. The Hawkeyes still have to face a program like Michigan State in the conference title match and the Sooners have Bedlam on the horizon...on the road nonetheless. Add to it the fact that Notre Dame plays Stanford on the road. There's no way I'd like to trade shoes with the committee this season!
With one week remaining in the regular season, a top ten shake up is bound to happen. Who will fall and who will remain victorious? Only time will reveal the answers. Until then, BOOMER!