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Phil Harrison

What the College Football Playoff Rankings might have looked like after Week 6

Believe it or not, we’re steaming ahead in this whole college football season thing, and the regular season is already half done for a great many teams. There’s still plenty to determine when it comes to conference races, but teams such as Ohio State have an ultimate goal of reaching the College Football Playoff.

Now that we’ve seen teams for six weeks, we have a much better idea of what the pecking order is. And while the initial College Football Playoff rankings will not be released until Nov. 1, we can throw darts at pictures of teams ahead of that to give you an idea of what the CFP rankings might have looked like after Week 6 if we got an early peek.

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Now, keep in mind that the CFP committee has rotating members and it seems every year, it prioritizes its framework of guidelines differently — aside from every team in the SEC getting the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless, here’s our look at how we believe the College Football Playoff rankings might have played out if they were released after Week 6 as a part of all the fun.

25
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-0)

Sept. 18, 2021; Buffalo, New York; Assistant equipment manager Mike Marangelli works on the helmet of Coastal Carolina Chanticleers offensive lineman Isaac Owusu-Appiah (71) during the pre-game warm-up at UB Stadium. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers were preparing to take on the Buffalo Bulls. Nicholas LoVerde-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at UL-Monroe, 28-21

Short Synopsis

The CFP committee has not historically thought very highly of non-Power Five teams, but an undefeated one that’s made an appearance before would sneak in as a nod to the mirage of respect.

24
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-2)

A detail view of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish players helmet showing the CFP logo during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against the Clemson Tigers at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 29, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Week 6 Result

Won vs. BYU, 28-20

Short Synopsis

Notre Dame is a name-brand team that has won three straight and just knocked off a ranked BYU squad. That would be enough to sneak into the rankings despite the two losses.

23
Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-1)

Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

IDLE

Short Synopsis

The CFP committee is supposed to take injuries into account, and there’s a good chance the only loss against Purdue would have had a different result if running back Mohamed Ibrahim had been able to play. For that reason, the Gophers should at least be in the lower end of the rankings.

22
North Carolina Tarheels (5-1)

Sept. 24, 2022; Chapel Hill; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass as Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) pressures in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Miami, 27-24

Short Synopsis

UNC seems like the forgotten team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It has won five out of six games. The defense is a work in progress, but the Tarheels might have sneaked into the rankings this week.

21
Texas Longhorns (4-2)

Oct. 2, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas; TCU Horned Frogs defensive end Ochaun Mathis (32) tackles Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson (5) during the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Oklahoma, 49-0

Short Synopsis

An almost-win over Alabama always plays well with the committee despite the two losses. The Longhorns just dismantled an Oklahoma team that appears to have quit on the season.

20
Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1)

Dec. 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell on the sidelines during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2021 Cotton Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. USF, 49-0

Short Synopsis

Cincinnati struggled with USF, but with the Bearcats kind of the darling of the Group of Five teams, a 5-1 record is enough to keep them in the rankings.

19
Kansas Jayhawks (5-1)

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Lost vs. TCU, 38-31

Short Synopsis

Kansas has been a surprise so far in 2022, but there’s not a marquee win in there. The record would play well, but there really needs to be a notch in the belt somewhere without the historical pedigree.

18
NC State Wolfpack (5-1)

Nov. 13, 2021; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; A North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet seen on the sideline during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Truist Field. William Howard-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Florida State, 19-17

Short Synopsis

A Power Five team with a 5-1 record is going to count for something with the CFP committee, but the game control has been lacking significantly and there’s not a real, quality win to hang a hat on.

17
Syracuse Orange (5-0)

Sept. 16, 2017; Syracuse, New York; General view of a Syracuse Orange helmet on the turf prior to the game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at the Carrier Dome. Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

IDLE

Short Synopsis

Syracuse hasn’t looked great but just keeps winning. The Orange will have a chance to make a statement each of the next couple of weeks, but being an undefeated Power Five team counts in the eyes of the committee.

16
Kansas State Wildcats (5-1)

Sept. 24, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Adrian Martinez (9) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Iowa State, 10-9

Short Synopsis

No wins against a ranked opponent keeps Kansas State from going much higher than, but a 5-1 record would play well. The loss to Tulane would be a problem down the road.

15
Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-1)

Dec. 31, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers (2) drops back to pass against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Arkansas, 40-17

Short Synopsis

The Bulldogs have looked fantastic in every game except one. The loss at LSU doesn’t make sense and continues to look worse and worse. But … Mississippi State would get the love for being in the SEC.

14
Oregon Ducks (5-1)

Sept. 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) audibles against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Arizona, 49-22

Short Synopsis

The extremely poor showing against Georgia in Week 1 is going to follow Oregon around, but the committee has not penalized teams as much for losing to the best of the best, so that offsets things if the Ducks continue to win.

 

13
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1)

Sept. 1, 2022; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (23) takes the handoff against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets during the second half at Truist Field. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Army, 45-10

Short Synopsis

As long as Wake Forest keeps winning and Clemson does the same, the Demon Deacons will be at the top of the one-loss teams because of the only blemish is an OT defeat at the hands of the Tigers.

12
UCLA Bruins (6-0)

Sept. 3, 2022; Pasadena, California; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) celebrates his touchdown scored against Bowling Green Falcons with offensive lineman Raiqwon O’Neal (71) during the second half at Rose Bowl. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Utah, 42-32

Short Synopsis

Even though there are a couple of quality wins in there, both Washington and Utah aren’t in what we forecast as the CFP rankings, so there’s no credit given for a victory over a ranked team. Never fear though because that chance comes next week vs. Oregon.

11
TCU Horned Frogs (5-0)

July 14, 2022; Arlington, Texas; A view of the TCU Horned Frogs helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Kansas, 38-31

Short Synopsis

TCU has come out of nowhere to race to a 5-0 record, including a win over a ranked (for now) Kansas team. That would vault the Horned Frogs up to about here with a wait-and-see approach.

10
Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0)

Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders (3) celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter during the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Central Michigan Chippewa at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. OSU won 58-44. USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Texas Tech, 41-31

Short Synopsis

The defense hasn’t been very good but the offense is good again in Stillwater. There’s not a win over a ranked team, at least not according to these projected CFP rankings, so there’s still work to do. The big matchup with TCU provides that chance next week.

9
Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0)

Credit: USA TODAY sports

Week 6 Result

IDLE

Short Synopsis

We’re splitting hairs here, but Penn State has a couple of solid road wins that would likely have vaulted it into the top 10 as an undefeated Power Five team. There’s still work to do to impress the committee. Win next week in the Big House and look out.

8
Ole Miss Rebels (6-0)

Oct. 12, 2019; Columbia, Missouri; A general view of a Mississippi Rebels helmet during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Vanderbilt, 52-28

Short Synopsis

There’s the whole SEC thing, but there’s also the reality that the Rebels have looked really good in controlling teams, even beating Kentucky to knock the Wildcats out of the ranks of the unbeaten.

7
Michigan Wolverines (6-0)

Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) celebrates his score against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during first-half action at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Indiana, 31-10

Short Synopsis

The schedule has been awful to date. And while that’s fine if you are dominating it, the Wolverines have struggled over the last couple of weeks once the sledding became a tad bit tougher. Next week looms large.

6
Tennessee Volunteers (6-0)

Sept. 24, 2022; Knoxville; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) passes the ball against the Florida Gators during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at LSU, 40-13

Short Synopsis

Tennessee gets the nod over Michigan for looking a little more dominant against its competition. Oh yeah, and … SEC.

5
USC Trojans (6-0)

Dec. 4, 2021; Berkeley; California Golden Bears tight end Elijah Mojarro (81) celebrates with USC Trojans wide receiver John Jackson III (80) after scoring a touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Washington State, 30-14

Short Synopsis

The wins aren’t very impressive because of a light schedule to date, but the Trojans have looked good with game control so far this year. The game at Utah will give us more to look at next week.

4
Clemson Tigers (6-0)

Sept. 5, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia; Clemson Tigers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) carries the ball up the field against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the fourth quarter of the Chick-fil-A kickoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Boston College, 31-3

Short Synopsis

Clemson looks like a team that has a lot of holes but the pedigree has always seemed to mean quite a bit to the committee. Add that to an undefeated record so far with two ranked wins, and you have yourself a highly rated Tigers squad.

3
Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)

Sept. 24, 2022; Tuscaloosa; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) leaves the field after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 55-3. Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Texas A&M, 24-20

Short Synopsis

It’s Alabama and the Tide are still undefeated. However, I don’t think there’s any way the committee would look at the struggles in a couple of games and not make the call to drop Alabama from the top spot. There are two teams that have looked more complete and performed better without a doubt.

2
Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)

Oct. 8, 2022; East Lansing, Michigan; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reads the defense in the second quarter of the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won at Michigan State, 49-20

Short Synopsis

Ohio State has looked like the best team in the country, but we simply can’t deny the love the committee has shown for Georgia over the last few years. The dismantling of Oregon in Week 1 is still a part of the body of work no matter what we’ve seen. The Buckeyes need a ranked win to move the needle more.

1
Georgia Bulldogs (6-0)

Sept. 10, 2022; Athens; Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton (2) runs the ball against the Samford Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Week 6 Result

Won vs. Auburn, 42-10

Short Synopsis

The struggles recently have been real for Georgia, but again — the win over a ranked Oregon team that continues to win in combination with the slanted eye the committee has had toward teams in the SEC would be enough to keep the Bulldogs at No. 1 in our opinion.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

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