Ohio State is still No. 1.
After a 35-16 win over Rutgers on Saturday, the CFP committee ranked Ohio State as the No. 1 team in America for the second consecutive week. The Buckeyes came in ahead of Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, Washington and Oregon – the same assortment of teams the committee ranked in the top six on Oct. 31.
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 9-0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 9-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 9-0 |
| 4 | Florida State | 9-0 |
| 5 | Washington | 9-0 |
| 6 | Oregon | 8-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 8-1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 8-1 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 8-1 |
| 10 | Penn State | 8-1 |
| 11 | Louisville | 8-1 |
| 12 | Oregon State | 7-2 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 7-2 |
| 14 | Missouri | 7-2 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | 7-2 |
| 16 | Kansas | 7-2 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 7-2 |
| 18 | Utah | 7-2 |
| 19 | LSU | 6-3 |
| 20 | Notre Dame | 7-3 |
| 21 | Arizona | 6-3 |
| 22 | Iowa | 7-2 |
| 23 | Tulane | 8-1 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 7-2 |
| 25 | Kansas State | 6-3 |
Through nine games in 2023, Ohio State’s marquee victories remain a 14-13 road win at No. 20 Notre Dame, whose record now stands at 7-3 with a 31-23 loss to Clemson in Week 10, and a 20-12 home win over No. 10 Penn State, who blew out Maryland, 51-15, on Saturday and will face No. 3 Michigan at Beaver Stadium this weekend.
According to ESPN’s College Football Power Index, Ohio State’s strength of schedule ranks 20th in the nation after 10 weeks – 21 spots ahead of Washington, 38 spots ahead of Florida State, 43 spots ahead of Oregon, 70 spots ahead of Georgia and 91 spots ahead of Michigan. The Buckeyes’ unbeaten record combined with its SOS ranks Ohio State’s strength of record as the best in college football, according to ESPN’s FPI.
"It's a mixture of résumé and football judgment," CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan said of how the committee ranks teams. "We're looking to add on to, 'What is their résume? How do they look? Who's been out? Who's coming back?' That's to make sure with the strength of schedule, statistics, watching the games, including everyone in the room to make sure we are getting all the various opinions to come out with the right answer."
In the next two weeks, Ohio State will host Michigan State and Minnesota at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The Spartans have a 3-6 record (1-5 Big Ten) in 2023. The Golden Gophers are 5-4 (3-3 Big Ten) and will be in West Lafayette, Indiana, this weekend to face Purdue.
On Nov. 25, the Buckeyes will travel to Ann Arbor for a battle with the Wolverines. The last time Ryan Day and Co. were at the Big House in 2021, the Wolverines secured a 42-27 victory, their first win over the Buckeyes since 2011. As it stands, the 119th edition of The Game would be a top-three matchup. Over the next two weeks, Michigan will face both Penn State and Maryland on the road.
When asked to update how the CFP continues to view Michigan amid the NCAA's investigation into the Wolverines' alleged sign-stealing operation, Corrigan offered a similar outlook to what he shared last week.
"Our mission as a committee is to judge the teams that are eligible for the postseason," he said. "Until something changes in that, we are going to continue to follow that track and make sure that we are following the protocols. This is not a CFP issue."
