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College Football Playoff Rankings 2021: Official Committee Releases Week 12 Poll
November 17, 2021
The top seven remained the same in the latest College Football Playoff rankings announced Tuesday.
Georgia and Alabama were easy calls for the top two spots after blowout victories Saturday, while Oregon, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Michigan and Michigan State also won. It keeps the pressure on the committee to determine the order with only four openings in the playoffs.
Voters kept things status quo heading into Week 12 as teams try to separate themselves on the field.
CFP Rankings
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Ohio State
5. Cincinnati
6. Michigan
7. Michigan State
8. Notre Dame
9. Oklahoma State
10. Wake Forest
11. Baylor
12. Ole Miss
13. Oklahoma
14. BYU
15. Wisconsin
16. Texas A&M
17. Iowa
18. Pittsburgh
19. San Diego State
20. North Carolina State
21. Arkansas
22. UTSA
23. Utah
24. Houston
25. Mississippi State
One of the bigger stories the past few weeks was the placement of Oklahoma in early versions of these rankings, which was lower than in the Associated Press or Coaches Poll.
The committee seemed to get it right as the Sooners suffered their first loss of the year Saturday, falling to Baylor 27-14. The Bears totaled 296 rushing yards in the upset while forcing two interceptions against Caleb Williams.
"They played better than we did," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said after the game.
Oklahoma dropped from No. 8 to No. 13 in the CFP rankings after the loss, while Baylor moved from 13th to 11th.
Ohio State also had a tough matchup on paper in Week 11 against Purdue, but the Buckeyes felt little resistance on the way to a 59-31 victory. Receiver Garrett Wilson scored four touchdowns, including three in the first half to help build a 45-17 lead.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport.<a href="https://twitter.com/GarrettWilson_V?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GarrettWilson_V</a> is COOKING:<br><br>118 total YDS | 3 total TDs<br><br>All in the first half. <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BigTenNetwork</a>) <a href="https://t.co/zZkzrkNgxc">pic.twitter.com/zZkzrkNgxc</a>
Georgia also had an easy time on the road while earning a 41-17 victory over Tennessee, while Alabama won 59-3 over New Mexico State.
Oregon wasn't quite as dominant in a 38-24 win over Washington State, but its full-season resume is still enough to remain No. 3 ahead of Ohio State in the latest ranking.
The next three spots have also been heavily debated with Cincinnati remaining undefeated after a 45-28 win over South Florida. Michigan State and Michigan each still have one loss after earning wins over Maryland and Penn State, respectively.
Michigan State currently sits at No. 7, although Saturday's game at Ohio State could create a significant shift.
Among the other notable rankings, Ole Miss climbed from 15th to 12th in the poll, while Wake Forest is now No. 10 (up two spots). UTSA, one of three remaining undefeated teams, is No. 22 overall.