With the exception of two new entries, the College Football Playoff rankings for this week remain relatively unchanged. This is setting up for a team with a loss and not a conference championship being able to slide into the final four. And the Big 10 could end up being the benefactor of this, if Ohio State and Michigan play close in two weeks.
The top five is still intact with Georgia on top, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, TCU, and Tennessee to round out. The two new entries for this week in the top seven were LSU at six, and USC at seven.
The Buckeyes and Wolverines are both undefeated and set up for a similar situation like in 2021, where the rivalry game winner got a championship game birth and an eventual CFP birth (Michigan). Based on where each team currently sits, and who is sitting behind them, that loss doesn't completely eliminate either team for the playoffs.
Steak and Rusty Mansell discussed this in today's Steakhouse, and if there's a team currently outside the top four that could slide in the final rankings if Ohio State and Michigan ends up being a blow out. You can hear that audio below.