College Football Playoff 2022: Rankings and Reaction from Week 12 Poll
It's hard to argue against the fact that there was no change in the AP Top 25 rankings for the top four teams for Week 12, especially since all four programs remained unbeaten after Saturday.
Georgia holds on to the No. 1 spot after its lopsided 45-19 victory over Mississippi State.
That win also clinched the Bulldogs a SEC Championship Game berth, which goes a long way with the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Ohio State made its case for consideration after putting 56 points on the board against Indiana, giving the Buckeyes an impressive fourth game with 50 or more points (and sixth with 49 or more).
Michigan at 10-0 is off to its best start to a season since 2006 and helped cement the No. 3 position with a resounding 34-3 win over Nebraska.
Then there's TCU, which has defied all expectations.
Sure, the Horned Frogs are in the national spotlight with an undefeated season, even after many experts picked them to lose to Texas last week.
Instead, they showed that their defense can match their explosive offense to hand the Longhorns a 17-10 loss.
Tennessee kept its No. 5 spot by dominating Missouri with a 66-point outburst.
That offensive performance and their strength of schedule will potentially allow them to leapfrog the Wolverines if U-M loses at Ohio State on Nov. 26.
Outside of the Top Five, there are some long shots in USC and LSU that could garner some consideration from the selection committee if things go completely off the rails for one of the Top Four in the next two weeks.
With that in mind, here's a glance at the rankings before Week 12's action and reactions to those rankings as everyone looks ahead to Championship Week.
Week 12 CFP Rankings
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1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. TCU
5. Tennessee
6. LSU
7. USC
8. Alabama
9. Clemson
10. Utah
11. Penn State
12. Oregon
13. North Carolina
14. Ole Miss
15. Kansas State
16. UCLA
17. Washington
18. Notre Dame
19. Florida State
20. UCF
21. Tulane
22. Oklahoma State
23. Oregon State
24. North Carolina State
25. Cincinnati
Selection Committee Merry-Go-Round
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Here's the hard truth: No one knows what the College Football Playoff selection committee will ultimately do.
All anyone can do is make educated guesses based on the protocol that members are supposed to follow.
To that end, there's a lot of debate surrounding the Week 12 CFP rankings and what to expect for the last two weeks of play before Championship Week.
With so many teams at the top with perfect or near-perfect records, it should be simple in theory for the selection committee when it comes to looking at comparable teams.
Tie-breaking considerations are conference championships, strength of schedule and head-to-head results against common opponents.
But, like in years past, anything can happen in college football.
Seemingly unbeatable teams can drop the ball and lose to an unexpected opponent, which leaves the door wide-open for teams in the Nos. 5-8 range that run the table over the next two weeks.
Then there's the old adage that points to the reality that if a team's not playing for a conference championship, they are praying to the football gods come selection time.
And truth be told, it's hard to compensate for lack of conference championship when it comes to the CFP.
As always, it's going to be very interesting to watch these programs over the next two weeks as they go all-in on their goal to make it to the big game.
Can they all hold on, or is there still a chance for some big upsets?
Everyone will have to just wait, stand clear of the closing doors and enjoy the ride.
Who's the Biggest Threat to Get in the Top 4?
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For those out there who think the Top Five teams will remain the same over the next two weeks, there's a wake-up call coming.
And it won't be pretty if there's money on the line.
So many things can change, and they will.
For instance, as much as TCU has impressed all parties involved this year, if they lose one game, they'll be in serious danger of losing their spot in the Top Four.
Then there's Michigan, which has the worst case for the CFP among the Top Four based on strength of schedule.
On the other hand, USC has a great outside chance of making it to the last foursome based on strength of schedule.
The Trojans have three straight wins over ranked teams. If they win the Pac-12 championship, there's a solid case for them getting in, especially if things go awry for Tennessee or TCU.
What could really nail it down for the Trojans is if they run the table for the remainder of the season and LSU loses to Georgia on Dec. 3.
Those are all valid outcomes that would prompt some serious consideration from the committee.
Of course, there are Alabama fans who have the hope that somehow their program can find its way in from its current No. 8 ranking.
That desire is likely fortified by the Crimson Tide's recent 30-24 win over then-No. 11 Ole Miss.
Problem is, Alabama isn't playing for a conference title.
Additionally, a team like Clemson has a better outside chance than head coach Nick Saban's squad because of a conference championship and strength of schedule.
All things considered, it would be a welcome sight to see a team like TCU make the CFP, but it's totally up to them to give the selection committee no valid reasons to let another team like USC take what they believe they've earned.
Now how's that for an exciting conclusion to what has been a great year of college football?
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