CFP Rankings: Top Five Remains Unchanged; Major Decision Looms for Lane Kiffin

As rivalry weekend approaches, the College Football Playoff picture looks familiar at the top. The committee kept its leading five teams in place: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Texas Tech continue to hold the top spots.

This week’s showdown between Ohio State and Michigan now carries even more weight, with both programs sitting inside the top 15. If the bracket were finalized today, the Buckeyes would be slotted to meet either Oklahoma or Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.

One of the biggest adjustments this week came just outside the top five. Ole Miss (10–1, 6–1 SEC) slipped from No. 6 to No. 7 after Oregon vaulted ahead following its victory over a ranked USC squad. As it stands, Alabama would head to Oxford for the opening round of the expanded playoff. Although the Rebels’ only defeat came at the hands of Georgia on Oct. 18, the committee appears to be waiting for a stronger closing statement before fully buying into their playoff legitimacy.

A win over Michigan on Saturday would send Ohio State to the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time since 2020. If the standings hold, the Buckeyes would meet Indiana in Indianapolis—unless Purdue delivers a surprising upset.

Missed Chances

Georgia Tech squandered its opportunity to reach the ACC Championship Game with a costly Week 13 loss to Pitt. That defeat opened the door for Virginia and SMU, both now considered frontrunners heading into Week 14.

Meanwhile, Miami is the highest-ranked ACC program in this week’s CFP standings at No. 12. Still, their postseason hopes remain murky after puzzling losses to Louisville and SMU. For the Hurricanes to squeeze into the ACC title game, they’ll need significant help. Miami must see at least two among Duke, SMU, and Virginia lose before the regular season concludes in order to reclaim a possible automatic berth.

Looking Ahead — and Waiting on Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin speaks with the media ahead of the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Atlanta, Ga. (Paul Abell via Abell Images for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)

Ole Miss wraps up its regular season against Mississippi State in Friday’s Egg Bowl, with a potential CFP spot still within reach. Adding intrigue, head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to reveal his plans for next season shortly after the game.

Should Kiffin decide to move on from Ole Miss—making him unavailable for postseason coaching duties—the committee is permitted to factor his absence into its evaluations. This guideline has precedent: in 2023, Florida State was excluded from the four-team playoff partly due to the season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis.

CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek noted that while the rule exists, it’s unclear whether there will be enough concrete information for it to influence Ole Miss’ ranking.

Two sets of CFP rankings remain: next Tuesday’s update before conference championship weekend and the final Top 25 unveiling on Sunday, Dec. 7, which will also reveal the inaugural 12-team playoff bracket.

This year’s first-round matchups will be hosted on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams on Dec. 19 and 20. The quarterfinals will take place at the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), and Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). Semifinal games follow on Jan. 8 and 9 at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl.

The College Football Playoff National Championship is set for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Complete Week 14 CFP Rankings