This week’s College Football Playoff Rankings reflect the body’s continued reliance on short-term memory and the eye test. The CFP Selection Committee also remains consistent in its inconsistency.
There is no change at the very top, where Clemson and Alabama are Nos. 1 and 2 for the third week in a row. The Tigers have actually topped the rankings for all four weeks this season, but LSU was the second-rated team in the initial rankings. Three straight losses later, and those Tigers are gone from this week’s rankings.
In my predicted top 25 released Tuesday morning, I said that Oklahoma could move up to No. 4 because it is passing the eye test. The committee gave the Sooners an even better grade, lifting them to third. Oklahoma has back-to-back wins over top 25 teams. That loss to Texas is probably too far back in the rear view mirror to be seen clearly.
Iowa is the new No. 4 this week, which is where the consistent inconsistency arises. Iowa is undefeated but with only one win over a team in the rankings -- at Northwestern --and it hasn’t been especially dominant against mediocre competition since that win.
Many think there is a case for No. 5 Michigan State to be ahead of the Hawkeyes despite a loss at Nebraska. The Spartans dominated at Ohio State last week and also have wins over Oregon and at Michigan. Michigan State will get their shot at the Hawkeyes with a win over Penn State this week.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, seems to be suffering in the “what have you done for me lately” department. This week’s struggle with Boston College compared with the performances by Oklahoma and Michigan State has the Irish down a bit. Down, but not out. Notre Dame can make a good impression on the committee at Stanford this week.
Here is how the CFP Rankings' top 25 looks as of Nov. 24:
| College Football Playoff Rankings, Nov. 24 | ||||
| Rank | Team | Record | Next game | Last week |
| 1 | Clemson | 11-0 | at South Carolina | 1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 10-1 | at Auburn | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 10-1 | at Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 4 | Iowa | 11-0 | at Nebraska | 5 |
| 5 | Michigan State | 10-1 | vs. Penn State | 9 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 10-1 | at Stanford | 4 |
| 7 | Baylor | 9-1 | at TCU | 10 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 10-1 | at Michigan | 3 |
| 9 | Stanford | 9-2 | vs. Notre Dame | 11 |
| 10 | Michigan | 9-2 | vs. Ohio State | 12 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 10-1 | vs. Oklahoma | 6 |
| 12 | Florida | 10-1 | vs. Florida State | 8 |
| 13 | Florida State | 9-2 | at Florida | 14 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10-1 | at NC State | 17 |
| 15 | Navy | 9-1 | at Houston | 16 |
| 16 | Northwestern | 9-2 | vs. Illinois (N) | 20 |
| 17 | Oregon | 8-3 | vs. Oregon State | 23 |
| 18 | Ole Miss | 8-3 | at Mississippi State | 22 |
| 19 | TCU | 9-2 | vs. Baylor | 18 |
| 20 | Washington State | 8-3 | at Washington | NR |
| 21 | Mississippi State | 8-3 | vs. Ole Miss | NR |
| 22 | UCLA | 8-3 | at USC | NR |
| 23 | Utah | 9-2 | vs. Colorado | 13 |
| 24 | Toledo | 10-1 | vs. Western Michigan | NR |
| 25 | Temple | 9-2 | vs. UConn | NR |
Other teams suffering for relatively poor recent performances include Florida, Northwestern, Utah and LSU.
Ohio State is not on that list. The Buckeyes only fell five places after losing at home to the Spartans, despite not having a win over any team in the current rankings.
Stanford is the highest rated team with two losses at No. 9. The Cardinal need a lot of help if they are to climb back into playoff contention. They can help themselves by beating Notre Dame.
Navy is up to No. 14 this week and still leads among the Group of Five teams. The Midshipmen play at Houston this week for a division championship. Toledo and Temple also represent the Group of Five in this week’s rankings, crawling onto the bottom at No. 24 and 25.
The CFP Rankings will be issued weekly Tuesday night through the end of the season. The four teams ultimately selected by the 12-person CFP Selection Committee to take part in the playoff will be seeded 1-4 and play semifinals in the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl on New Year's Eve. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be held in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 12, 2016.
