Ohio State Leaves No Doubt As Their Stronghold On CFP Positioning Remains Firm

In the latest College Football Playoff rankings published on Tuesday, Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M maintained their positions as the top three teams. Alabama, following a loss to Oklahoma, slipped six spots to No. 10. Notably, the Crimson Tide have secured four victories against top-25 opponents, yet they find themselves ranked below No. 9 Notre Dame, which has only one. Meanwhile, Georgia climbed to No. 4, with Texas Tech at No. 5, Ole Miss at No. 6, Oregon at No. 7, and Oklahoma ascending three spots to No. 8 after narrowly defeating Alabama 23-21. BYU occupies the eleventh position, followed by Utah at twelfth, Miami at thirteenth, Vanderbilt at fourteenth, and USC at fifteenth. The Hurricanes improved two spots after overpowering NC State 41-7 but remain four slots behind Notre Dame, a significant adversary. Both teams share an 8-2 record, with Miami having edged Notre Dame 27-24 earlier this season. Miami’s coach Mario Cristobal emphasized the significance of head-to-head performances in playoff evaluations, stating, "The No. 1 criteria is always head-to-head."