CFP rankings: Big Ten teams in second College Football Playoff top 25 poll of 2023 season
For the second-consecutive week, a Big Ten team sits atop the College Football Playoff rankings.
A week after being slotted at No. 1 by the playoff selection committee in its first rankings of the 2023 season, Ohio State held on to that spot in the new top 25 that was unveiled Tuesday night on ESPN.
The Buckeyes are 9-0 after a 35-16 victory last Saturday at Rutgers, a game in which they trailed 9-7 early in the third quarter before rallying in the second half for a comfortable win behind 128 rushing yards from TreVeyon Henderson and a pair of touchdown catches from Marvin Harrison Jr. Though the Scarlet Knights weren't ranked, they were the third bowl eligible team Ohio State has defeated this season.
Ohio State maintained the top ranking ahead of No. 2 Georgia, the two-time reigning national champion and the No. 1 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll. According to ESPN analytics, the Buckeyes have the No. 20 strength of schedule and No. 1 strength of record among 133 FBS teams. Georgia has the No. 90 strength of schedule and No. 7 strength of record following its 30-21 win last Saturday against then-No. 12 Missouri.
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Michigan remained No. 3 in the rankings after it routed Purdue 41-13 last Saturday to move to 9-0 on the season. The Wolverines have been dominant this season, winning each of their games by at least 24 points, but they have yet to play a Power Five team with more than six wins.
Penn State moved up one spot to No. 10, benefitting from then-No. 9 Oklahoma’s loss to rival Oklahoma State last Saturday. The Nittany Lions improved to 8-1 after thumping Maryland 51-15 last Saturday.
What the committee had to say Tuesday about the Wolverines and Nittany Lions may soon matter little, given that the two teams face off Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. A win would give Michigan a long-awaited signature victory while effectively eliminating Penn State from Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff consideration.
The trio that has dominated discussion of the conference this season wasn't alone in the rankings this week. After its 10-7 win against Northwestern at Wrigley Field last Saturday, Iowa made its debut in the committee's top 25 this season, appearing at No. 22. The Hawkeyes are 7-2 and have the upper hand to represent the Big Ten West in the league's championship game
Here's a look at the full set of CFP rankings heading into Week 11 of the season:
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College Football Playoff rankings for Week 11
Top four teams of first CFP poll
Big Ten teams in bold
Rank | Team | Record |
1. | Ohio State | 9-0 |
2. | Georgia | 9-0 |
3. | Michigan | 9-0 |
4. | Florida State | 9-0 |
First two teams out of first CFP poll
Big Ten teams in bold
Rank | Team | Record |
5. | Washington | 9-0 |
6. | Oregon | 8-1 |
College Football Playoff top 25 rankings for second CFP poll
Big Ten teams in bold
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. | Ole Miss | 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 |
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Second CFP rankings of 2023: Where Big Ten teams rank in top 25 poll
