On the penultimate week of the college football regular season, there were very few upsets, but plenty of exciting games across the sport.
No. 5 Washington went into a very hostile road environment in Corvallis to escape with a win over No. 11 Oregon State, 22–20. Huskies quarterback Michael Penix put himself in the driver’s seat for the Heisman Trophy, as he accounted for three total touchdowns in brutal weather conditions to lead the Huskies to another victory.
Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, No. 4 Florida State cruised to a 58–13 win over North Alabama, but the story was the gruesome ankle injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis. Travis was taken down by a hip-drop tackle in the first half and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. While not yet official, he won’t play the rest of the season, which dramatically alters the College Football Playoff landscape. The Seminoles could certainly still make the College Football Playoff, but it’s unlikely they have the ceiling of a true national title contender without Travis in the lineup.
Here’s Sports Illustrated‘s projected College Football Playoff Top 25 heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Projected Ranking
1. Georgia Bulldogs: 11-0 (8-0 SEC)
This Week: Won 38–10 at No. 18 Tennessee
Week 13: Away at Georgia Tech
2. Ohio State Buckeyes: 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 37–3 vs. Minnesota
Week 13: Away at Michigan
3. Michigan Wolverines: 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 31–24 at Maryland
Week 13: Home vs. Ohio State
4. Washington Huskies: 11-0 (8-0 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 22–20 at No. 11 Oregon State
Week 13: Home vs. Washington State
5. Florida State Seminoles: 11-0 (8-0 ACC)
This Week: Won 58–13 vs. North Alabama
Week 13: Away at Florida
6. Oregon Ducks: 10-1 (7-1 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 49–13 at Arizona State
Week 13: Home vs. Oregon State
7. Texas Longhorns: 10-1 (7-1 Big 12)
This Week: Won 26–16 at Iowa State
Week 13: Home vs. Texas Tech
8. Alabama Crimson Tide: 10-1 (7-0 Big 12)
This Week: Won 66–10 vs. Chattanooga
Week 13: Away at Auburn
9. Missouri Tigers: 9-2 (5-2 SEC)
This Week: Won 33–31 vs. Florida
Week 13: Away at Arkansas
10. Louisville Cardinals: 10-1 (7-1 ACC)
This Week: Won 38–31 at Miami
Week 13: Home vs. Kentucky
11. Penn State Nittany Lions: 9-2 (6-2 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 27–6 vs. Rutgers
Week 13: Away at Michigan State
12. Ole Miss Rebels: 9-2 (5-2 SEC)
This Week: Won 35–3 vs. UL Monroe
Week 13: Away at Mississippi State
13. Oregon State Beavers: 8-3 (5-3 Pac-12)
This Week: Loss 22–20 vs. No. 5 Washington
Week 13: Away at Oregon
14. Oklahoma Sooners: 9-2 (6-2 Big 12)
This Week: Won 31–24 at BYU
Week 13: Home vs. TCU
15. LSU Tigers: 8-3 (5-2 SEC)
This Week: Won 56–14 vs. Georgia State
Week 13: Home vs. Texas A&M
16. Arizona Wildcats: 8-3 (6-2 Pac-12)
This Week: Won 42–18 vs. No. 22 Utah
Week 13: Away at Arizona State
17. Iowa Hawkeyes: 9-2 (6-2 Big Ten)
This Week: Won 15–13 vs. Illinois
Week 13: Away at Nebraska
18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 8-3
This Week: Won 45–7 vs. Wake Forest
Week 13: Away at Stanford
19. Kansas State Wildcats: 8-3 (6-2 Big 12)
This Week: Won 31–27 vs. No. 25 Kansas
Week 13: Home vs. Iowa State
20. Oklahoma State Cowboys: 8-3 (6-2 Big 12)
This Week: Won 43–30 at Houston
Week 13: Home vs. BYU
21. Tulane Green Wave: 10-1 (7-0 American)
This Week: Won 24–8 at Florida Atlantic
Week 13: Home vs. UTSA
22. NC State Wolfpack: 8-3 (5-2 ACC)
This Week: Won 35–28 at Virginia Tech
Week 13: Home vs. North Carolina
23. Clemson Tigers: 7-4 (4-4 ACC)
This Week: Won 31–20 vs. No. 20 North Carolina
Week 13: Away at South Carolina
24. Toledo Rockets: 10-1 (7-0 MAC)
This Week: Won 32–31 at Bowling Green
Week 13: Home vs. Miami (OH)
25. Liberty Flames: 11-0 (7-0 Conference USA)
This Week: Won 49–25 vs. UMass
Week 13: Away at UTEP
