After all the noise off the field surrounding the Michigan sign-stealing scandal heading into Week 12, the football itself stole the show on Saturday afternoon.
No. 3 Michigan, without Jim Harbaugh, passed their stiff test against No. 10 Penn State in Happy Valley with flying colors to remain unbeaten.
No. 5 Washington welcomed a feisty No. 18 Utah team to Seattle, and got all it could handle before making some key plays late to survive the upset bid of the Utes.
As for the other contenders, No. 2 Georgia took No. 9 Ole Miss to the woodshed between the hedges. Ditto for No. 1 Ohio State in the Horseshoe against Michigan State.
No. 4 Florida State survived a scare from unranked rival Miami, as did No. 7 Texas against TCU. Meanwhile, No. 8 Alabama continued to quietly roll along behind the building momentum of quarterback Jalen Milroe, who accounted for six scores.
With another week of football in the books, here’s the projected College Football Playoff rankings heading into Week 12.
The Projected Ranking
1. Ohio State Buckeyes: 10–0 (7–0 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 38–3 vs. Michigan State
Week 12: Home vs. Minnesota
2. Georgia Bulldogs: 10–0 (7–0 SEC)
This Week: Won 52–17 vs. No. 9 Ole Miss
Week 12: Away at Tennessee
3. Michigan Wolverines: 10–0 (7–0 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 24–15 at No. 10 Penn State
Week 12: Away at Maryland
4. Washington Huskies: 10–0 (7–0 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 35–28 vs. No. 18 Utah
Week 12: Away at Oregon State
5. Florida State Seminoles: 10–0 (8–0 ACC)
This Week: Won 27–20 vs. Miami
Week 12: Home vs. North Alabama
6. Oregon Ducks: 8–1 (5–1 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 36–27 vs. USC
Week 12: Away at Arizona State
7. Texas Longhorns: 9–1 (6–1 Big 12)
This Week: Won 29–26 at TCU
Week 12: Away at Iowa State
8. Alabama Crimson Tide: 9–1 (7–0 SEC)
This Week: Won 49–21 at Kentucky
Week 12: Home vs. Chattanooga
9. Louisville Cardinals: 9–1 (6–1 ACC)
This Week: Won 31–24 vs. Virginia
Week 12: Away at Miami
10. Oregon State Beavers: 8–2 (5–2 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 62–17 vs. Stanford
Week 12: Home vs. Washington
11. Missouri Tigers: 8–2 (4–2 SEC)
This Week: Won 36–7 vs. No. 13 Tennessee
Week 12: Home vs. Florida
12. Penn State Nittany Lions: 8–2 (5–2 Big Ten)
This Week: Lost 24–15 vs. No. 3 Michigan
Week 12: Home vs. Rutgers
13. Oklahoma Sooners: 8–2 (5–2 Big 12)
This Week: Won 59–20 vs. West Virginia
Week 12: Away at BYU
14. Ole Miss Rebels: 8–2 (5–2 SEC)
This Week: Lost 52–17 at No. 2 Georgia
Week 12: Home vs. Louisiana-Monroe
15. LSU Tigers: 7–3 (5–2 SEC)
This Week: Won 52–35 vs. Florida
Week 12: Home vs. Georgia State
16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 7–3
This Week: Idle
Week 12: Home vs. Wake Forest
17. Arizona Wildcats: 7–3 (5–2 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 34–31 at Colorado
Week 12: Home vs. Utah
18. Tennessee Volunteers: 7–3 (3–3 SEC)
This Week: Lost 36–7 at No. 14 Missouri
Week 12: Home vs. Georgia
19. Iowa Hawkeyes: 8–2 (5–2 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 22–0 vs. Rutgers
Week 12: Home vs. Illinois
20. Utah Utes: 7-3 (4–3 Pac–12)
This Week: Lost 35–28 at No. 5 Washington
Week 12: Away at Arizona
21. Tulane Green Wave: 9–1 (6–0 American)
This Week: Won 24–22 vs. Tulsa
Week 12: Away at Florida Atlantic
22. North Carolina Tar Heels: 8–2 (4–2 ACC)
This Week: Won 47–45 (2OT) vs. Duke
Week 12: Away at Clemson
23. Oklahoma State Cowboys: 7–3 (5–2 Big 12)
This Week: Lost 45–3 at UCF
Week 12: Away at Houston
24. Kansas State Wildcats: 7–3 (5–2 Big 12)
This Week: Won 59–25 vs. Baylor
Week 12: Away at Kansas
25. Kansas Jayhawks: 7–3 (4–3 Big 12)
This Week: Lost 16–13 vs. Texas Tech
Week 12: Home vs. Kansas State
Dropped from Rankings: None
Others Considered: James Madison (ineligible for CFP in 2023 due to move from FCS), Liberty, Toledo, Air Force
