Initial Playoff Rankings Show Georgia at Top and Numerous Potential Contenders

The Bearcats (8-0) won decisively at No. 10 Notre Dame (7-1) — one of the best road wins on any team’s ledger — and although they looked jittery the last two weeks, they have been no more uneasy on the eyes than Oklahoma (9-0), which has eked out wins over Tulane, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas and Nebraska, and trailed woeful Kansas in the fourth quarter.

And if pedigree counts for the sport’s blue bloods, then it is worth noting that these are largely the same Cincinnati players whose only loss last season was on a last-second, 53-yard field goal to Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

Those in the Pac-12 had to surely be relieved for now. The conference has been shut out of the playoff since 2016 and is down to one hope: Oregon (7-1). The Ducks have played uneven football for most of the season, but they have what stands out as a giant rose on their résumé — a 35-28 victory at Ohio State, which was achieved even without their star defensive end, Kayvon Thibodeaux, who did not play because of an injury.

If the Buckeyes should get credit for bouncing back after shaking up their defensive coaching staff, the Ducks might argue that an allowance should be made for their unsightly overtime defeat to Stanford — it came with the offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead, in the hospital after emergency surgery.

The schedule, as it often does, will iron out some of the existing wrinkles. Michigan State and Ohio State play each other on Nov. 20 in Columbus, and the Buckeyes play at Michigan a week later. Those games will largely determine the winner of the Big Ten East and provide the conference with a strong contender for a playoff berth.

Alabama, after being upset last month by Texas A&M, ranked 14th on Tuesday, may not be able to afford another slip up, either at No. 13 Auburn on Nov. 27 or in the SEC title game against Georgia if that matchup holds.

Oklahoma, which has skirted past virtually everyone on its schedule, still has to play at one-loss Baylor, ranked 12th, and one-loss Oklahoma State, ranked 11th, and will likely meet one of them again for the Big 12 title.