A case could be made for Texas A&M to leapfrog Indiana at No. 2.
Texas Tech deservingly gets a bump for beating Brigham Young, but the Cougars get punished too harshly.
Some teams outside the top 12 are still in the hunt to make the field by the end of the season.

With some notable results in the past week, how did the College Football Playoff selection committee do in its second batch of rankings?

There was plenty to be happy or confused about in the first reveal of rankings that will determine who makes the 12-team playoff. But we must remember they aren’t definitive, and they are bound to be shaken up as high stakes, late season matchups happen. From Texas Tech’s major win over Brigham Young, Indiana’s scare at Penn State and more ACC contenders losing in Week 11, there are some changes that make sense, while others are still questionable.

Here are the grades for every single team in the Nov. 11 edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.

1. Ohio State: A+

The defending champions keep rolling, and it would take a loss for the Buckeyes to get taken down from the top spot given the committee’s praise for their play on both sides of the ball.

2. Indiana: A-

It took a spectacular catch for Indiana to avoid a damaging loss to Penn State. Even though the Hoosiers have mostly been dominant, a case was made to knock them down a spot given the depressed state of the Nittany Lions.

3. Texas A&M: B+

An argument could be made for Texas A&M to jump to No. 2 after a quality road win at Missouri and Indiana’s scare. Still, there’s nothing wrong with the Aggies staying put with their biggest games to come.

4. Alabama: A+

It wasn’t a pretty win against LSU, but the Crimson Tide didn’t deserve to move up or down. They’re on track for the SEC title game with a win against Oklahoma.

5. Georgia: A+

No upset scare from Mississippi State lets the Bulldogs stay put, hoping Alabama or Texas A&M will lose so it can jump up in the top four.

6. Texas Tech: A+

It was going to be interesting to see how much the Red Raiders would be rewarded for beating Brigham Young. Texas Tech jumping past Mississippi is a smart move considering how it has manhandled the Big 12 with Behren Morton in the lineup, but staying behind the SEC stalwarts.

7. Mississippi: A-

There shouldn’t be any brownie points for beating a Championship Subdivision team. The Rebels could have dropped a spot after their defeat of The Citadel, but nothing wrong with them staying at No. 7.

8. Oregon: A

It’s not easy going into Kinnick Stadium and leaving with any type of win. The short-handed Ducks get rewarded for the Iowa victory and more opportunities await with Southern California and Washington ahead.

9. Notre Dame: A

Don’t get it wrong, Navy is a good team. Notre Dame is just way better with the Midshipmen not having quarterback Blake Horvath, and if it can beat Pittsburgh, there’s a case for the Fighting Irish to jump up.

10. Texas: B+

The Red River was quiet with bye weeks, and Texas gets to move up as a result of Brigham Young losing in emphatic fashion.

11. Oklahoma: D+

Another team that gets to move up a spot while it didn’t play, but Oklahoma didn’t deserve that improvement.

12. Brigham Young: F

The Cougars finally fell, but they drop completely out of the projected field. It wasn’t close against Texas Tech, but the drop is way too much for losing to a top six team on the road. BYU has a better resume than Oklahoma.

13. Utah: C+

The Utes should stay behind a team it lost to, but this ranking still seems too high. It’s clear Cincinnati joining the rankings helped add weight to their win last month.

14. Vanderbilt: D+

Even though Vanderbilt looks good, it doesn’t own any wins over teams currently ranked. The Commodores need at least an impressive win to justify this.

15. Miami: B-

Great job by the Hurricanes to reaffirm dominance by beating down Syracuse. Miami still has the Notre Dame win still in its pocket, and the losses aren’t as awful as they appeared to be.

16. Georgia Tech: B-

No movement for the idle Yellow Jackets but they won’t stay put if they finish the season strong. They head back on the road to Boston College after their loss to North Carolina State two weeks ago.

17. Southern California: B+

The Trojans probably think they’re good enough to be in the top 16, but they get plenty of chances to move up with Iowa and Oregon next on the schedule.

18. Michigan: A-

19. Virginia: A

One could argue the loss of Chandler Morris greatly affected Virginia’s defeat to Wake Forest, but it still isn’t pretty losing to another unranked team.

20. Louisville: B+

After a confounding home loss to California, it appears the only way for Louisville to get in the playoff is by winning the ACC, which will require a lot of help.

21. Iowa: C+

Yes, Iowa nearly beat Oregon. But its still the third loss of the season, and the Hawkeyes should have fallen more than just one spot.

22. Pittsburgh: B+

23. Tennessee: C-

Moving up as a product of other teams losing, but Tennessee remaining in rankings − especially above deserving teams − is still confusing.

24. South Florida: B-

The Bulls are grateful Tulane knocked off Memphis last week, but is South Florida the best Group of Five team?

25. Cincinnati: A

The Bearcats should’ve been in the initial rankings to begin with. The committee finally fixed the problem.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain and U.S. Olympian Auston Matthews left Tuesday’s game and didn’t return after a series of hits involving him and Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Matthews, who was one of the first six players named to the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, went hard into the boards after he was checked from behind by Zadorov during the second period of the Nov. 11 game. The center got up, skated down the ice, checked the defenseman and lost his balance. Matthews also was hit by a cleared puck right before he checked Zadorov.

The Maple Leafs later announced that Matthews would not return to the game because of a lower body injury.

Auston Matthews injury update

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube had no updates on Matthews after the game.

He said he couldn’t provide a timeline or say how serious the injury was.

‘We’ll see (tomorrow),’ he told reporters on Tuesday. ‘Right now, it’s lower body. We’ll see (tomorrow) how he is.’

On the original Zadorov hit, Berube said, ‘I think it’s a penalty, personally, but I’m not the referee. I don’t like it. I don’t like the hit. It’s a vulnerable position.’

Zadorov, known for his physical play, told reporters about his perspective on the hit.

‘It was just a normal play,’ he said. ‘I didn’t really hit him. I hit my right shoulder, 99% of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder.

‘I’m not sure what hit he got hurt (on). Is it like when he went after me again and I counter-hit him? Or maybe when I cleared the puck, I hit him with the puck. … There was really no intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team, that’s my job.’

U.S. Olympic team injuries

Four of the original six players named to the U.S. Olympic team have been injured since the announcement.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had offseason hernia surgery. Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk had thumb surgery in October. Both remain out but are expected back before the Olympics in February.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes missed four games with a lower body injury but returned in early November. He left Tuesday’s game after an injury scare but returned.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel and Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy also were named to the U.S. team.

Final rosters are due on Dec. 31.

STORRS, Conn. — If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

That may not be exactly how sophomore Kayleigh Heckel ended up playing for No. 1-ranked UConn, but it is true that she finished her freshman season at USC with a loss to the team she ended up joining after entering the transfer portal.

‘My last game at USC was against UConn,’ Heckel said in a video posted by UConn prior to the season. ‘The stakes were high, was the Elite Eight game, so excited to to be on this side now.’

Heckel is fitting right in with the Huskies, averaging 13 points, 2.5 assists and 3.5 steals. She brings energy off the bench to a backcourt led by Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold. Heckel had six steals as UConn ran its press and overwhelmed Florida State, 99-67, on Sunday. The Huskies scored 42 points off 23 turnovers.

‘A lot of people on our team are very aggressive defensively,’ said Heckel, whose Huskies host Loyola on Wednesday (truTV, 7:30 p.m. ET). ‘(Running the press) helps us a lot. The six steals, that comes from my teammates helping me and getting a position where I can get a steal. We all work together defensively.’

Coach Geno Auriemma said Heckel is familiar with UConn’s style of defense.

‘Her whole high school career, the team that she played on, they were a pressure defense’ Auriemma said ‘It kind of fits in with what she likes, that’s her skills. That’s your skill set. So it sound like we’re introducing anything new here, but she’s going to get better at it.’

A 5-foot-9 native of Port Chester, New York, Heckel was the No. 13-ranked recruit in her class. Auriemma said that although he wasn’t sure about the fit out of high school, he was impressed with her play last season. The Huskies lost to USC in December last season before getting their revenge in the Elite Eight.

‘Watching her play, playing against her, I just thought that things that she’s really good at can help us, the other stuff, I think we can work with,’ Auriemma said. ‘I don’t think she’s changed (her game) that much (last season), but the changes she has made have made her for the better.

‘She’s a way better offensive player than I thought she was. You know, She loves that pull up. She knows that.’

Heckel has already doubled her 6.1 point scoring average with USC. She said Auriemma challenged her to work on being aggressive.

‘Coach told me that I have to have a very consistent midrange shot, so I’ve been working on it a lot, and I just try to get to my spots,’ Heckel said. ‘If it’s open, I’m gonna take it. If not, I can always pass to an open teammate.’

Heckel watched UConn raise its championship banner on Sunday. The Huskies have won 12 national titles, the last against South Carolina in April. She said playing for UConn comes with pressure, but she’s here for it.

‘I would say the biggest adjustment is like, the expectations,’ Heckel said. ‘I think that they’re super high and I really like that because I have a lot of goals for myself and for the team this year, so I’m super excited to just be held to the expectations and those standards.

‘I really want to get better, and I think that that can really be something that I can do here.’

The ACC could see a seven-team tie, potentially requiring advanced analytics to decide the matchup.
In the Big Ten, the race could come down to the rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan.
The SEC has several one-loss teams, creating multiple pathways to the championship game behind likely participant Alabama.

Dozens of scenarios are still in play as the Power Four inches toward conference championship games, beginning with the possibility of an absurdly convoluted quagmire in the ACC.

The league is likely to travel far down the list of tiebreaker scenarios to decide which teams meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the league’s one assured College Football Playoff bid.

While other Power Four conferences could have two, three or even four teams with identical records, the ACC faces the possibility of a seven-team stalemate that would require an NSA-level cryptologist to decipher.

Things are simpler in the SEC, relatively speaking. While Indiana is on the verge of locking down a championship game appearance, the other half of the Big Ten race could come down to the final day of the regular season and the rivalry between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 17 Michigan.

With three weeks remaining until conference championship games, here’s where each race stands in the Power Four and the American, which has the inside track for the Group of Five’s playoff berth:

(League records in parentheses)

SEC conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 3 Texas A&M (6-0), No. 4 Alabama (6-0), No. 5 Georgia (6-1), No. 7 Mississippi (5-1), No. 10 Texas (4-1).

Let’s start by agreeing on this: Alabama is going to make the championship game.

The Crimson Tide can lose to Oklahoma or Auburn and still make it to Atlanta because of its head-to-head tiebreaker over Georgia and an advantage over Mississippi in conference opponent winning percentage. That Alabama is unlikely to lose both games could block Georgia from reaching Atlanta for the fifth year in a row, while the Rebels are also held at arm’s length by a loss to the Bulldogs.

The Tide would face Texas A&M if the Aggies beat South Carolina and Texas to end the regular season. But just one loss would throw the SEC into chaos.

Begin with the assumption that Alabama goes unbeaten in conference play. That would leave the possibility of three other one-loss teams in the Aggies, Rebels and either the Bulldogs or Longhorns, who meet this weekend. Here’s how that would unfold:

If Texas A&M, Georgia and Mississippi are in a three-way tie for second place, Georgia would likely advance based on conference opponent winning percentage.
If the Texas A&M, Mississippi and Texas are in a three-way tie, Texas would be eliminated by a loss to Florida, one of three common opponents along with Mississippi State and Arkansas. The tiebreaker would then be conference opponent winning percentage. If that fails to break the stalemate, the SEC would turn to “capped relative scoring margin,” a formula created by the firm SportSource Analytics.
The Rebels’ path to Atlanta requires wins against Florida and Mississippi State, a Texas win against Georgia, an A&M loss to South Carolina and then an A&M win against the Longhorns.
Lastly, Texas returns to the championship game by beating Georgia and beating A&M while the Rebels drop one of two.

Hey, no one said this was going to be easy.

Big Ten conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 2 Indiana (7-0), No. 1 Ohio State (6-0), No. 18 Southern California (5-1), No. 6 Oregon (5-1), No. 17 Michigan (5-1).

The Big Ten is easier to decipher, at least. For the two favorites, Indiana ends the year against Wisconsin and Purdue while Ohio State closes with UCLA, Rutgers and Michigan. Let’s work off two assumptions: one, the Hoosiers take care of the Badgers and Boilermakers, and two, Oregon beats Southern California and eliminates the Trojans.

If Ohio State loses again to Michigan, the Ducks are in position to earn a rematch against Indiana over the Wolverines because of an expected higher common opponent winning percentage. That same edge would send the Ducks to Indianapolis should the Buckeyes lose to UCLA. Should Ohio State lose to Rutgers, the Ducks would finish ahead of Ohio State thanks to a better record among five common Big Ten opponents.

There is a way for Michigan to face the Hoosiers. First, Oregon or USC would have to lose this weekend to Minnesota or Iowa, respectively, and then the loser would have to win next Saturday’s matchup at the Coliseum, leaving both teams with two conference losses. The Wolverines would then have to beat the Buckeyes for the fifth time in a row.

USC makes the championship game by running the table combined with a Michigan win against Ohio State.

Big 12 conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 8 Texas Tech (6-1), No. 12 Brigham Young (5-1), No. 22 Cincinnati (5-1), Houston (5-2), No. 15 Utah (4-2).

Texas Tech finishes with Central Florida and West Virginia, so let’s start with the expectation the Red Raiders end November with one league loss and lock up one spot.

It’s win-and-in time for BYU, which has been miserable in November games since joining the Big 12. The Cougars close with TCU, Cincinnati and Central Florida. The Bearcats are in by beating the Cougars, Arizona and TCU.

There’s a fairly high likelihood of having multiple teams with two conference losses, however.

In the case where BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Utah finish are tied at 7-2 in conference play, the Utes would be expected to have a rematch with the Red Raiders by having the best common opponent winning percentage.

ACC conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 12 Georgia Tech (5-1), No. 19 Virginia (5-1), No. 23 Pittsburgh (5-1), SMU (5-1), Duke (4-1), No. 21 Louisville (4-2).

Georgia Tech ends with Boston College and Pittsburgh. Two wins in guarantee the Yellow Jackets head to the ACC championship game for the first time since 2014.

Even if Tech takes care of business, there’s the high probability of multiple teams tied with two conference losses, which would trigger the use of the SportSource Analytics formula to decide who faces the Jackets.

Saturday’s matchup between Duke and Virginia could be a tipping point. Should Duke win and Louisville beat SMU next weekend, the Blue Devils could finish second even with a loss to North Carolina or Wake Forest because of a higher common opponent winning percentage than Louisville, Virginia, Miami and SMU.

The Cardinals would finish second with a win against SMU combined with a Virginia win against Duke and a Virginia loss to Virginia Tech. Should Virginia beat Duke and SMU beat Louisville, the Cavaliers would finish ahead of the Mustangs based on common opponent winning percentage.

And yes, there is a chance of a seven-win tie for first. That’s how Miami — somehow, someway — makes the championship game. In the case where Georgia Tech loses once, Virginia beats Duke but loses to the Virginia, Louisville beats SMU and Miami wins out, the Hurricanes would draw a rematch with the Cardinals.

Got all that?

American conference tiebreakers

Contenders: Navy (5-1), South Florida (4-1), Tulane (4-1), North Texas (4-1), East Carolina (4-1).

Memphis is no longer a serious contender after losing to Tulane. North Texas is the most likely to finish with one loss given games against Alabama-Birmingham, Rice and Temple to end the month. One of Navy and South Florida will be sent to the back of the line after the two meet on Saturday in Annapolis.

Should Navy beat South Florida but then lose to Memphis, the most likely matchup in the championship game is North Texas against Tulane, which seems set to finish with one loss based on upcoming games against Florida Atlantic, Temple and Charlotte. The Green Wave also own the tiebreaker over East Carolina.

The likeliest scenario has a three-way tie between the Bulls, Mean Green and Green Wave. In this case, the playoff rankings or computer metrics would be used to break the deadlock.

Should two teams be ranked in the penultimate playoff rankings and then win their season finales, that pair would meet in the conference championship. This is the dream scenario for the American and the playoff.

That’s because of the growing possibility the league has to use computer metrics — our old, much-maligned friend from the Bowl Championship Series days — to determine the two teams left standing.

In the case where playoff rankings won’t settle the story, the American will split hairs between three or more teams by using the compositive average of four metrics: ESPN reporter Bill Connolly’s SP+, SportSource Analytics’ TR116 SOR, ESPN’s SOR and the KPI, a measurement tool created by Michigan State associate athletics director Kevin Pagua.

So, boiled down: One spot in the 12-team playoff could be decided by computers. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

No one is talking about them. Just an overlooked name on a lost line among College Football Playoff Top 25 poll. 

But No. 14 Vanderbilt is in prime position to win out and find a way to the CFP.

At this point, it’s a numbers game. A strange and surreal numbers game we’ve never seen in the history of the CFP. 

Texas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt will be vying for what could be two playoff spots. Texas has the most difficult road, but the story is Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. 

They have seven common SEC opponents, a rarity in any season, in any conference. 

Texas has the head-to-head win over Vanderbilt, and the Commodores likely need the Longhorns to lose two games. But the resume comparison with Oklahoma is where it gets interesting. 

Both lost to Texas, and both beat South Carolina on the road and Auburn at home.
Oklahoma beat Tennessee on the road, Vandy plays at Tennessee on the final week of the regular season. 
Vanderbilt lost at Alabama, Oklahoma plays at Alabama this weekend. 
Vanderbilt beat Missouri at home, Oklahoma plays host Missouri Nov. 22. 
Vanderbilt beat LSU at home, Oklahoma plays host to LSU on the final week of the regular season. 

Never have two teams fighting for one spot been so easy to compare via common opponents. 

The question: How many more losses can Texas and Oklahoma sustain before Vanderbilt passes them? This three-team comparison is the only way Vanderbilt reaches the playoff. 

While No. 10 Texas plays at No. 5 Georgia and plays host to Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M over the final three weeks of the season, Vanderbilt plays Kentucky and at No. 23 Tennessee.

Do three-loss Oklahoma and Texas remain ahead of Vanderbilt? Can the Commodores use a big win at Tennessee to strengthen its resume enough that one loss by Oklahoma will be enough for the Commodores to jump them?

This, as much as anything, will show the committee’s ability to look past name and television property value, and reward resume.

The Fortunate

No. 15 Miami

The classic makeup call. Canes were ranked No. 18 in the first poll of the season, out of reach from No. 9 Notre Dame — which it beat in the season opener and has an identical record and a comparable schedule.

Apparently, Miami’s 38-10 win over Syracuse — which has lost six straight by an average of 22.5 points — was a game-changer in the committee’s eyes.

“We had some teams lose,” CFP chairman Mack Rhoades said on the ESPN selection show — and then mumbled some word salad about consistency, playing great defense, the offense needs to play better … and then I lost interest. 

Because here’s the reality: Even with Miami’s win over the Irish, this choice could come down to how each plays at Pitt. A common opponent, and prisoner of the moment game. 

No. 2 Indiana

Penn State is bad. One of the worst teams in the Big Ten bad. And but for some late game heroics from Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, Penn State would’ve given Indiana its first loss of the season. 

The committee could’ve easily moved Texas A&M — which continues to roll through its SEC schedule — to the No. 2 spot, but stuck with the Hoosiers. With games against Wisconsin and Purdue, Indiana may not have enough to hold off the Aggies who still play SEC games against South Carolina and No. 10 Texas.

No. 13 Utah  

What exactly have the Utes done to be ranked in the top 13? Utah beat No. 25 Cincinnati two weeks ago, and that’s about it. 

The problem: Who has Cincinnati beaten?

Utah was blown out at home by Texas Tech, and lost by three at BYU. Other than that. A whole lot of nothing. A win over Arizona State without its starting quarterback is Utah’s next best win.

The Frantic

No. 10 Texas

Longhorns likely need two wins over the final three weeks of the season to reach the CFP. That means beating one of two top 5 teams (Georgia or Texas A&M).

A 9-3 record isn’t a lock, but there would have to be some wild upsets over the final three weeks of the season for three-loss Texas to not reach the CFP. A win over either Georgia or Texas A&M would be too difficult to ignore.

The ACC

There are five teams with one conference loss, and only two control their destiny (Georgia Tech, Duke). The best team could be SMU, which struggled early this season and lost to rivals Baylor and TCU. 

Then there’s No. 22 Pitt, which finishes the season playing host to No. 9 Notre Dame, at No. 16 Georgia Tech and playing host to No. 15 Miami. Win those three and the Panthers will move into the top 10.

No. 12 BYU

The remaining games: TCU, at No. 25 Cincinnati, UCF. BYU will be favored in all three games, and control their destiny in the race for the Big 12 championship game. 

Cincinnati, too, controls its destiny — and is unbeaten at home this season.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

The second round of College Football Playoff rankings reaffirmed the possibility that the SEC sends not one, two, three or even four teams into the tournament but possibly five — or even six, if things get really crazy.

No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana continue to lead the rankings out of the Big Ten. But then comes a parade of contenders from the SEC, starting with No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Mississippi.

All four teams are potentially one more conference win away from locking down at-large playoff berths, though the Rebels might face elimination with a loss to Florida or Mississippi State.

This group is followed by three more prime contenders in No. 10 Texas, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 14 Vanderbilt. The Longhorns can play their way in by splitting games against Georgia and Aggies. Oklahoma has a huge game at Alabama followed by home contests with Missouri and LSU. Vanderbilt’s chances will come down to the season finale against Tennessee.

At this point, having four SEC teams in the bracket seems guaranteed. At the same time, the ACC and Big 12 might end up as one-bid leagues. Even if those two leagues share three bids, there’s an opportunity for the SEC to make up half of the 12-team field.

That puts the conference front and center among the biggest winners and losers of Tuesday night’s rankings, joining South Florida and the ACC:

Winners

Indiana

The Hoosiers were able to stay ahead of Texas A&M despite of — or because of, from one perspective — last weekend’s 27-24 escape at Penn State. While the Aggies had no issues taking care of Missouri, the Hoosiers were able to pull down the first win at Beaver Stadium in program history, something the committee clearly recognized as meaningful despite the narrow victory. Remaining in the No. 2 spot solidifies Indiana’s near-lock status with games against Wisconsin and Purdue to end the month.

South Florida

South Florida squeezed into the rankings at No. 24 as the only Group of Five representative, giving the Bulls a clear edge for an automatic playoff bid should they take care of business and win the American. Given games against Navy and the second-best team in the American for the conference championship, USF is essentially a lock for the No. 12 seed in the bracket with a clean finish. Looking ahead, placing in the rankings is a huge deal given that in the case of a multiple-team tie atop the standings, the championship game pairings could end up being decided by which team or teams were in the penultimate rankings and where.

Texas Tech

Saturday’s 29-7 win against No. 12 Brigham Young moved Texas Tech up two spots to No. 6, leapfrogging ahead of Mississippi. While the clearest path to the playoff remains via the Big 12 championship, the Red Raiders have built up enough wiggle room and goodwill with the committee to potentially survive a loss to BYU in a Big 12 title game rematch and earn an at-large bid, though that might come down to whether or not the Big Ten has a fourth team in the conversation.

Notre Dame

No. 9 Notre Dame must win out, starting on Saturday at No. 22 Pittsburgh, but are now firmly in at-large position after climbing one spot from last week’s rankings. With both the ACC champion and Group of Five representatives potentially finishing outside the top 12 in the final rankings, climbing inside the top nine at this point guarantees the Fighting Irish will make the playoff for the second year in a row with a perfect close to the regular season.

Losers

The ACC

For the second week in a row, there’s no bigger loser in the playoff rankings than the ACC. After a horrific weekend that included losses by No. 19 Virginia, No. 20 Louisville and Duke, the league’s highest-ranked teams are No. 15 Miami and No. 16 Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers and Cardinals both dropped five spots from last week. While No. 15 Miami and Pittsburgh give the ACC five teams in Top 25, these rankings strongly suggest only the conference champion will make the bracket unless the Yellow Jackets win the conference, the Hurricanes run the table and there is chaos ahead. That USF made the rankings helped the Hurricanes climb three spots and definitely breathes some life into their chances.

BYU

The five-spot drop from last week leaves BYU only one clear path to the playoff: via the Big 12 championship. There’s a chance for an at-large bid, though that demands not just a perfect finish to November, complete with a win against No. 25 Cincinnati, but also help from bottom-feeders in the SEC and Big Ten to clear an avenue for a second team from the Big 12. In addition to that assistance, the Cougars would need to put together a much stronger and competitive performance in the rematch with Texas Tech.