COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS WK 13 AT CFB NOW

11/17/2024

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS

The week 13 college football playoff rankings at College Football Now have been updated on our FBS Top 25 page as the college football playoff picture starts to come into focus.

CFB NOW CFP TOP 25 RANKINGS

The CFB Now CFP top 25 rankings can be found below with case by case arguments for the week 13 CFP committee ranking reveal!

CFB NOW TOP 25 RANKINGS

1. OREGON DUCKS (11-0)

Coach Dan Lanning and the number one ranked Oregon Ducks had a massive scare from the very gritty & talented Wisconsin Badgers, as they were able to escape with a 16 to 13 victory and remain undefeated on the season. The Ducks now have three enormous top 25 victories on their resume over 2nd ranked Ohio State, Boise State & Illinois, barring the committee ranks the Fighting-Illini after moving to 7 & 3 on the season. What is most impressive about the Oregon Ducks this season is their defense currently ranks 9th nationally and has only allowed 15.7 points per game heading into week 13. We all know what can happen when the Ducks get going offensively under Dillon Gabriel, but what I really like about their style of attack is they are a team built to win games in any given situation, as Jordan James and the ducks running game can effectively operate the ground & pound game when needed to win closely contested battles. Oregon has one game left on their schedule against the Washington Huskies in a rivalry match-up that should be closely contested and then will most likely face-off against Ohio State in a rematch for all the marbles in the Big Ten Championship.

Strength of schedule - 43rd

2. OHIO STATE (9-1)

Coach Ryan Day has done another masterful job leading the Buckeyes to national prominence as they are primed to make a run deep into the post season. The Buckeyes are also built to win games in any scenario as they have two NFL caliber running backs in Quinshon Judkins and TreyVeyon Henderson and QB Will Howard has been able to orchestrate a very balanced attack that has kept the Buckeyes defense well rested. The Buckeyes are still capable of lighting up the scoreboard at any given moment as Jeremiah Smith & Emeka Egbuka are able to stretch the field with their aerial capabilities and blow the lid off the opposing defense, but can pound a team into submission when needed. The Buckeyes will need to be firing on all cylinders the remainder of the season as they face-off against the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers next week and will host their arch rivals from the north at home to finish off the season, before potentially heading back to the Big 10 championship for a highly anticipated re-match with the top ranked Ducks of Oregon.

Strength of schedule - 28th

3. TEXAS (9-1)

Coach Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns were able to escape against a very talented Arkansas Razorbacks team who beat the likes of Tennessee and solidify themselves as a college football playoff contender in 2024-2025. With that being said, Texas has not beaten a current top 25 opponent, but currently has the 38th ranked strength of schedule nationally, as the wins over Florida (who just beat LSU), Vanderbilt (who beat Alabama) and the win over upcoming 7 & 3 Colorado State hold major weight with the committee. As usual, "This is Texas" and as long as the Longhorns can keep pounding the rock with Jaydon Blue and Quinn Ewers can lead the Longhorns talented offense effectively without costly turnovers, Texas will find themselves in the 2024-2025 CFP 12 team playoff bracket. They have two battle tested SEC opponents left of their schedule and will host Kentucky next week and then travel to Texas A&M for what would be a play-in game for the Texas A&M Aggies, who have been striving to keep Texas from getting too weird.

Strength of schedule - 38th

4. PENN STATE (9-1)

Coach James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions only loss on the season came at the hands of their arch rival the Ohio State Buckeyes, but still find themselves in a position to make the 12 team CFB Playoff bracket. The Nittany Lions currently have one top 25 victory on the season against Illinois, but have gone through a gauntlet of opponents in the Big 10 which has helped produce the 35th ranked strength of schedule nationally. They will face-off against a very formidable Golden Gophers team who has had an up & down season, but are on the cusp of cracking the top 25 rankings with a 6 & 4 record and finish the season against Maryland. All in all, if Drew Allar & the Penn State offense can start to light up the scoreboard, the Nittany Lions defense could carry them all the way to the national championship as they are currently ranked in the top five nationally and are stocked with top tier NFL Draft talent.

Strength of schedule - 35th

5. INDIANA HOOSIERS (10-0)

The Indiana Hoosiers have been on a tear since the inception of the 2024-2025 college football season and Coach Curt Cignetti has made an everlasting mark on Big Ten football, as the Hoosiers could potentially reign as Big 10 champions in his first season at Indiana. QB Kurtis Rourke and the Hoosiers offense has been borderline unstoppable all season long, but will have to travel to Columbus for their next game against perennial Big 10 powerhouse Ohio State. If the Hoosiers defeat the Buckeyes & are able to take home the Old Oaken Bucket against Purdue, the Hoosiers could potentially be ranked either 1 or 2 heading into the Big 10 championship game against the Ducks of Oregon. This would be an epic finish to the season, but the Buckeyes will most certainly have their say in the matter, as this is the biggest football game in Indiana football history and the stakes are higher than ever. The Hoosiers may have a weak strength of schedule, but when you compare their 56 to 7 win over Nebraska to Ohio State's 21 to 17 win over the Huskers, you will start to see that head to head match-ups against against similar opponents weighs heavily on the CFP committee's playoff ranking and that the Hoosiers have a legit opportunity to potentially reign as Big 10 champions in 2024.

Strength of schedule - 106th

6. OLE MISS REBELS (8-2)

Of course, this is where things get quite complex, as the SEC has become an epic clash of titans week in and week out, but the Ole Miss Rebels now boast two top 25 victories and defeated the Georgia Bulldogs handily by a score of 28 to 10. The win over a rapidly rising South Carolina Gamecocks team has added more legitimacy to the Coach Lane Kiffin led Ole Miss Rebels CFB Playoff resume & is why they find themselves now ranked 6th nationally in the College Football Now Top 25 Playoff rankings. After watching more tape, I believe as of right now, the Ole Miss Rebels are the most complete team in all of college football and if they can stay on track offensively they will be extremely hard to beat coming down the home stretch of the season. I even believe Jaxson Dart could potentially be invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony if the Rebels can defeat a rising Florida Gators team who just knocked off formerly top 25 ranked LSU, who defeated the Rebels back on October 12th in overtime. Time will tell, as over the years the Rebels have struggled to remain consistent down the stretch of the season, but all of the stars seem to be aligning in the Rebels favor with their convincing win over one the greatest programs of all-time and this could be the year that Lane Kiffin finally starts to fill the shoes in the SEC of legendary coach Nick Saban.

Strength of schedule - 29th

7. ALABAMA CRIMSON-TIDE (8-2)

The Alabama Crimson-Tide beat Georgia on September 28th and many in the rankings industry believed that the Tide were rolling in the right direction under coach Kalen Deboer until Alabama suffered a crushing defeat the next week at Vanderbilt. Alabama also was able to defeat top 25 ranked South Carolina by a score of 27 to 25 on October 12th, which gives them two quality wins over current top 25 opponents and their head to head victory over the Dawgs has them sitting slightly ahead in our CFP top 25 algorithmic sequences. Moving further along, the Rebels win over Georgia gives them a slight advantage over the Crimson-Tide, as they beat the Dawgs & South Carolina much more convincingly than Alabama. Alabama also lost to Tennessee, who was just beaten by Georgia and the Rebels handled the Dawgs, thus, the Rebels landed 6th in this week's CFB Now Top 25 rankings. All in all, the Crimson-Tide have the talent amassed to reign victorious once again and stake their SEC dominance, but will need more consistent play out of Jalen Milroe who can electrify an audience with his epic dual-threat presence on the gridiron of college football now.

Strength of schedule - 16th

8. GEORGIA BULLDOGS (8-2)

The Georgia Dawgs came out lit against the Tennessee Volunteers and were able to walk away with a rather convincing 31 to 17 victory to land themselves back in the 12 team college football playoff bracket. Georgia is sitting right behind Alabama as they suffered a defeat in a head to head match-up, but have top 25 victories over Clemson, Texas & Tennessee, while their only losses are to CFB Now 6th ranked Ole Miss & 7th ranked Alabama. As the pressure was applied to Quarterback Carson Beck and the play-calling was amplified to match his brilliant skill-set, the Georgia Dawgs were able to move the ball effectively against a very stout Vols defense and set the stage for a potential return to the SEC championship and another national championship run. Coach Kirby Smart has been adamant about the week in and week out rigorous Dawg fights that Georgia has been involved in and how stacked the SEC is from top to bottom year in and year out, as he makes a extremely valid case and even fired some shots the past few weeks while pondering what the CFP committee could possibly be evaluating.

Strength of schedule - 1st

9. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING-IRISH (9-1)

The Notre Dame Fighting-Irish are winning in formidable fashion and have looked the part of a college football playoff contender after suffering a crushing defeat earlier in the season to unranked Northern Illinois. They do have one very impressive victory over top 25 ranked Texas A&M on their resume, but have played a very weak schedule according to ESPN and there next major victory came over the formerly top 25 ranked Louisville Cardinals. They will face off against a top 25 ranked Army football team this next weekend and finish the season against their rivals from the West Coast in USC. If they are to simply win both games, I believe the Notre Dame Fighting-Irish will find themselves in the 12 team college football playoff bracket come December, as they are simply too talented to leave out of the equation because of one mishap earlier in the season and have arguably the most loyal fan base in all of collegiate sports. If Riley Leonard can keep extending plays and allowing his receivers more time to work themselves open down the field, while utilizing his dual-threat capabilities, I believe the Irish do stand a fighting chance at potentially reigning national champions as the underdogs in this year's college football playoff 12 team bracket!

Strength of schedule - 82nd

10. MIAMI HURRICANES (9-1)

The Miami Hurricanes suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, who arguably could be a top 25 team by the end of the season and have relied to heavily on their passing game up to this point in the season. The Canes defense is ranked 21st nationally, but has consistently been slow to get going in games, which has led to Miami playing in their spread hurry-up offense for most of the season to make up the deficit in the second half of play. Cam Ward is one the best pure passers in the game of American football, but as we witnessed against Georgia Tech, he needs time in the pocket to create plays down the field and if the Canes offensive line does not step up in key situations to provide ample protection for the nation's top gunslinger, Miami will be in more closely contested battles with non top 25 opponents. The Canes finish up the season against 4 & 6 Wake Forest and will play what could potentially be a top 25 opponent in the 7 & 3 Syracuse Orangemen to finish up ACC play. If Miami suffers another defeat, they could play themselves out of the ACC championship and CFB Playoff altogether, as their resume is good, just not as good as many other team's right now vying for a college football playoff seeding. The Canes top wins right now are over Florida and Duke, as they should be pulling for both ball clubs down the stretch, as they could find themselves working their way into the top 25 and into formidable bowl games.

Strength of schedule - 54th

11. SMU MUSTANGS (9-1)

The SMU Mustangs moved up to the 11th spot after Kevin Jennings and the SMU offense put on yet another display of aerial brilliance against the Boston College Eagles this past weekend, as they reigned victorious 38 to 28. The fact that Jennings is not particularly being mentioned in the Heisman discussion is deeply concerning, but the SMU Mustangs currently have zero wins against current top 25 opponents, but did beat former top 25 ranked opponents Louisville & Pittsburgh and handled soon to be top 25 ranked Duke. Their only loss of the season came at the hands of BYU, which is why they leaped frog the Cougars after they suffered their first loss of the season against a 3 & 6 Kansas Jayhawks team. The Mustangs find themselves in a prime position to play for an ACC championship against either Clemson or Miami and will finish up ACC play against Virginia & California, which means we could be looking at a 11 & 1 Mustangs team heading into championship weekend! It is going to be tough for a 2 loss ACC team to join the ranks of the elite this year, which is why it is imperative that the Mustangs run the table to ensure a first round CFB Playoff buy and move straight into the quarterfinal round.

Strength of schedule - 86th

12. BYU COUGARS (9-1)

The BYU Cougars were on their way to becoming America's team again, but appeared to run out of steam offensively against the Kansas Jayhawks which is has led to a severe lack of faith among the BYU fan base. But, this is just one hiccup in the season and even though it would have been better to have this happen earlier in the season like when Notre Dame fell to NIU, shit happens and the Cougars will get a chance to earn their second top 25 victory over the newly ranked Arizona State Sun Devils next week and will finish the season against Houston. I am not going to give the Cougars an early projection over the Sun Devils, as Myles Rowser and Arizona State are one of the most underrated team's in all of college football right now. But, if they can handle business next week and defeat Houston, who defeated former top 25 ranked Kansas State, we will see BYU contend for the Big 12 title and an opportunity to bypass the first round of CFP play and earn a buy into the quarterfinal round.

Strength of schedule - 53rd

13. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (8-2)

The Tennessee Volunteers appeared to arguably be the best offensive team in the nation earlier in the season, but defensive coordinators have been able to find helpful indicators to help stifle the Vols potent offensive attack. Tennessee's crushing defeat to Georgia was lost in Athens, which according to coach Kirby Smart is one the toughest places to play in the nation and the CFP committee needs to actually attend a contest to realize the implications of SEC football play. The Vols were able to topple Alabama by a score of 24 to 17 & defeated a very talented Gators team who recently upset top 25 ranked LSU, but they only have one top 25 victory to date and their first loss of the season came at the hands of the 5 & 5 Arkansas Razorbacks. With that being said, according to ESPN's strength of schedule, which is not always the most accurate indicator, the Vols have played the 18th ranked toughest schedule nationally and I could potentially be wrong about their current rankings at CFB Now if the CFP committee takes ESPN' SOS into consideration. BYU losing to an unranked Jayhawks team is a cause for concern, but the Vols loss to Arkansas is comparable and they just suffered their 2nd loss of the season to the almighty Dawgs of Georgia. Tennessee has UTEP next and will finish the season against in-state rivals Vanderbilt, who were able to defeat Alabama and took the Longhorns down to the wire! If the Vols can win out convincingly, I believe they will be apart of the 12 team CFP bracket, but it's a very close call when you factor in the prestige that team's like Notre Dame bring to the table and the amount of cash they will draw in for a first round CFP match-up.

Strength of schedule - 18th

14. BOISE STATE BRONCOS (9-1)

The Boise State Broncos only loss of the season came at the hands of the Oregon Ducks in their second game of the season and ever since, the Broncos have been firing on all cylinders in all three phases of the game. As things currently stand, the Boise State Broncos would be the highest ranked non-group of four conference team to receive a CFP bid into the 12 team college football playoff bracket and would face-off against Ohio State in the first round in Columbus. The relevance behind such a match-up is highly intriguing as the Ohio State Buckeyes defense would be tested by on the most balanced offenses in the nation, but let's not get ahead of ourselves as the Broncos have been winning very closely contested battles with non top 25 opponents as of late. The Broncos currently now have one top 25 victory over the UNLV Rebels & handed the formerly top 25 ranked Washington State Cougars a loss earlier in the season, but barely squeaked by a 3 & 8 Nevada Wolfpack team by a score of 28 to 21. I know, a win is a win, but they did bounce back masterfully against a very talented San Jose State team and won handily by a score of 42 to 21. The Broncos next game is against a 2 & 8 Wyoming Cowboys team, but they will have to play at over 8,000 feet in one of the most beautiful settings in all of college football and will end the season against a struggling 4 & 6 Oregon State Beavers team. The Broncos destiny appears to be in their mitts, but they will have to most likely beat an emerging Colorado State or talented UNLV Rebels team to reign victorious as Mountain West Champions and stake their claim in the 12 team college football playoff bracket!

Strength of schedule - 76th

15. TEXAS A&M AGGIES (8-2)

The Texas A&M Aggies could very well be a lot higher now that the South Carolina Gamecocks have joined everyone's CFP top 25 rankings, as they were hammered South Carolina on November 2nd by a score of 44 to 20. There first loss of the season came at the hands of Notre Dame, but currently as the rankings stand, do not have a win against a top 25 opponent and their best wins of the season are against formerly ranked top 25 team's LSU & Missouri. Given these are high quality wins of team's that could wind up back in the top 25 rankings by season's end, the Aggies CFP destiny is in their own hands at this time. Why? Well, if the Aggies beat Auburn next week and are able to topple #3 Texas, I believe they will be a shoe in even if they were to possibly be defeated in the SEC championship game. Many believe a three loss team will inevitably not be included in this year's 12 team playoff bracket, but if LSU and Missouri end up back in the top 25 and the Aggies win out, they will could potentially have three top 25 victories and two in-season losses to quality top 25 opponents. Thus, all the Aggies have to do is win the next two games and be highly competitive in the SEC championship in my most humble opinion and they will be in the 12 team CFP field.

Strength of schedule - 25th

16. COLORADO BUFFALOES (8-2)

The Colorado Buffaloes have visibly been improving week by week under Coach Deion Sanders and the outstanding coaching staff he was able to put together, as they find themselves in striking distance to reach the 2024-2025 college football playoff 12 team bracket. They have suffered two losses, one to top 25 ranked Kansas State (Coaches poll) and the other loss coming at the hands of formerly top 25 ranked Nebraska earlier in the season. If it weren't for the loss to the Huskers the Buffs would be ranked much higher, as their sheer charisma alone will garner much attention and revenue in the first year of the 12 team college football playoff. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders should be the first quarterback taken off the board in the upcoming NFL Draft and Travis Hunter currently sits in first place as far as Heisman Trophy odds are concerned, which begs to question, what is the path forward for the Buffaloes to crack the 12 team CFP bracket and why does the media constantly ridicule coach Prime? To answer the second question first, it is because they are terrified of "the cream rising to the top" and know that the only way to stop someone like Deion Sanders is to constantly place distractions in his path, as well as the fact they do not honor God or men of faith. The first question is a very easy one, they must beat Kansas who just upset BYU next week and then destroy Oklahoma State to earn a Big 12 championship bid against most likely BYU or Arizona State. They win out, they are in, if they were to somehow slip up in the Big 12 championship, they will not be considered in my most humble opinion for this years 12 team college football playoff bracket.

Strength of schedule - 73rd

17. ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS (9-0)

The Army Black Knights have been on a tear this season and are currently undefeated, but have played the second weakest schedule nationally thus far and have really yet to be tested. With that being said, it doesn't matter who you win against if you have not lost a game yet, especially when you have top ranked Notre Dame on the schedule this coming week. If the Army Black Knights can pull off the upset by playing disciplined and disruptive football against the Fighting-Irish, I believe that would propel them over the likes of Boise State and Army would be a shoe-in to the CFP 12 team bracket. If the Black Knights come close to knocking off the Irish, but Boise wins out the season, it still would not compare to the 3 point loss to the number one team nationally that was suffered by the Broncos. Thus., Army will have to beat UTSA, Navy and top 25 ranked Tulane in the AAC Championship to have a chance at catching the Boise State Broncos in top 25 rankings. As stated, if they beat the Fighting-Irish or come close, the door could bust wide open as the Army Black Knights most likely would pump into or near the top 10 in everyone's top 25 CFP rankings. I do know that Army has been spot on in terms of their recruiting efforts over the past 6 to 7 years helping pipeline them recruits and the caliber of athletes they are bringing in may fly under the radar, but are proving to be unbeatable young men who possess the grit, determination and mental aptitude to not only win football games, but protect our great nation.

Strength of schedule - 133rd

18. CLEMSON TIGERS (8-2)

The Clemson Tigers pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Pittsburgh Panthers this past weekend and QB Cade Klubnik's dual-threat presence was felt royally on the go-ahead drive as Cade scampered over 50 yards for the game winning touchdown. But the Tigers have suffered two losses, one to top 10 ranked Georgia and the other to the former top 25 ranked Louisville Cardinals and have yet to topple a current top 25 team. In two weeks, Clemson can strengthen their resume as they will face off against a Gamecocks team who has "stayed cocky" down the home stretch of the season and beaten the likes of top 25 ranked Texas A&M & Missouri, who they were responsible for knocking out of the top 25 completely. This will be the strongest opponent that Clemson has faced all season long and could also give the ACC some more clout, as the Gamecocks 3 losses are to some of the best teams in the SEC. The Clemson defense has been stout all season long and kept them in practically every game and if their offensive attack can ignite late in the season, we could see the Tigers leap frog way up the Top 25 and sneak their way into the 12 team CFP bracket. If Clemson were to win out, they also still have a chance at winning the ACC championship and earning an automatic bid into the quarterfinal round of the 12 team CFP bracket!

Strength of schedule - 46th

19. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (7-3)

The South Carolina Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams right now nationally and are loaded with NFL talent on both sides of the football, as I have been keeping a close eye on All-American defensive back Jalon Kilgore and the rest of the Gamecocks stellar young squad. Coach Beamer has the Gamecocks clicking in all three phases of the game and recently beat the 15th ranked Texas A&M Aggies by a score of 44 to 20 and were able to conquer the Vanderbilt Commodores, who beat Alabama by a score of 28 to 7. South Carolina only loss to Alabama by 2 points and were toppled by Ole Miss, if it were not for their 3 point loss to now non-ranked LSU, we could potentially be talking about South Carolina in the mix for a 12 team CFP bracket bid and it's actually still quite possible. Some team's would have to slip up ahead of them, but if they were to beat Clemson & Wofford convincingly, they potentially could sneak into a spot up above as football is a what have you done lately business and the CFP committee wants the most competitive 12 team CFP bracket feasible for the first ever 12 team College Football Playoff!

Strength of schedule - 8th

20. TULANE GREEN WAVE (9-2)

The Tulane Green Wave are once again the top ranked team in the state of Louisiana and for good reason, as they beat a very good Louisiana squad and have practically obliterated every opponent they have faced since starting the season out 1 & 2. Tulane's 35 to 0 victory over the former top 25 Navy Midshipmen opened up a lot of people's eyes nationally in the rankings industry and will have an opportunity to play top 25 ranked Army in the AAC championship game. If they can escape the Memphis Tigers in two weeks & beat Army in the AAC championship, the Green Wave could sneak into the CFP 12 team playoff bracket if Boise State were to lose in the Mountain West Conference championship game or one of their two remaining contests. This is not unlikely and the Green Wave could potentially give some power four opponents all they can handle in the first round of the CFP 12 team playoff bracket and they also have an outstanding fan base that will be capable of traveling in droves to their potential opening round match-up.

Strength of schedule - 96th

21. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (8-2)

I had an inkling that the Arizona State Sun Devils were recruiting the right athletes as they have four players from our recruiting platform at Scout Trout Elite in DB's Myles Rowser & Nikko Klemm, as well as wide receivers Korbin Hendrix and Kaleb Black. After evaluating the Sun Devils performance this season, I put them into the top 25 at College Football Now yesterday after they beat formerly top 25 rankings Kansas State, as they have had a very under the radar winning season in Big 12 play. Ever since their loss to Texas Tech, the Sun Devils have been on a miraculous run and find themselves in contention late in the season for a bid to the Big 12 conference championship, all they must do is beat BYU. If Arizona State can pull off a victory over BYU, who just suffered defeat to 4 & 6 Kansas, whom ASU beat by only 2 points, we could potentially be looking at a showdown between Colorado and Arizona State for a chance to skip the first round of the CFP 12 team bracket and advance straight to the quarterfinal round! The ball is now in the Sun Devils court and they should have one thing on their minds as they sharpen their pitch forks for battle with BYU Cougars, which is how do we repeat what Kansas was capable of with the outstanding personnel we were capable of amassing through the portal and our recruiting efforts.

Strength of schedule - 67th

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