Predicting the CFP standings a week away from first release in 2023
In a little bit less than a week, the first official College Football Playoff standings will be released on Halloween night, with the unveiling coming on ESPN at 4 p.m. PT.
No longer will we have to weigh the AP Poll, the US LBM Coaches Poll, a Football Power Index, a Power Rating, and numerous other metrics to try and determine which teams in the nation are the best, and who has the best opportunity to get into the College Football Playoff at the end of the year. We will finally have a clear look and a clear explanation for which teams are viewed as the best in the nation, and who has the clearest path to the playoff.
So what might those rankings look like when they are finally released a week from now, and how similar will they be to the most popular polls that we use each week? It will be interesting to see.
Here’s our projection for what the first CFP poll will look like next week:
Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 20-12 vs. No. 7 Penn State
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 3rd
Michigan Wolverines
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 8-0
Best Win: 31-7 vs. Rutgers
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 2nd
Florida State Seminoles
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 45-24 vs. No. 5 LSU
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 4th
Georgia Bulldogs
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 51-13 vs. No. 20 Kentucky
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 1st
Oklahoma Sooners
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 34-30 vs. No. 3 Texas
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 6th
Washington Huskies
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 36-33 vs. No. 8 Oregon
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 5th
Texas Longhorns
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 34-24 vs. No. 3 Alabama
Worst Loss: 34-30 vs. No. 12 Oklahoma
AP Poll Ranking: 7th
Oregon Ducks
(Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa)
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 38-24 vs. Washington State
Worst Loss: 36-33 vs. No. 7 Washington
AP Poll Ranking: 8th
Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 31-0 vs. No. 24 Iowa
Worst Loss: 20-12 vs. No. 3 Ohio State
AP Poll Ranking: 10th
Alabama Crimson Tide
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 7-1
Best Win: 34-20 vs. No. 17 Tennessee
Worst Loss: 34-24 vs. No. 11 Texas
AP Poll Ranking: 9th
Oregon State Beavers
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 21-7 vs. No. 10 Utah
Worst Loss: 38-35 vs. No. 21 Washington State
AP Poll Ranking: 11th
Ole Miss Rebels
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 55-49 vs. No. 13 LSU
Worst Loss: 24-10 vs. No. 13 Alabama
AP Poll Ranking: 12th
Utah Utes
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 34-32 vs. No. 18 USC
Worst Loss: 21-7 vs. No. 19 Oregon State
AP Poll Ranking: 13th
LSU Tigers
Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-2
Best Win: 49-39 vs. No. 21 Missouri
Worst Loss: 45-24 vs. No. 8 Florida State
AP Poll Ranking: 15th
Missouri Tigers
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 7-1
Best Win: 38-21 vs. No. 24 Kentucky
Worst Loss: 49-39 vs. No. 23 LSU
AP Poll Ranking: 16th
Louisville Cardinals
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 33-20 vs. No. 10 Notre Dame
Worst Loss: 38-21 vs. Pitt
AP Poll Ranking: 18th
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-2
Best Win: 48-20 vs. No. 10 USC
Worst Loss: 33-20 vs. No. 25 Louisville
AP Poll Ranking: 14th
North Carolina Tar Heels
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 41-31 vs. No. 25 Miami
Worst Loss: 31-27 vs. Virginia
AP Poll Ranking: 17th
UCLA Bruins
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 5-2
Best Win: 25-17 vs. No. 13 Washington State
Worst Loss: 36-24 vs. No. 16 Oregon State
AP Poll Ranking: 23rd
Air Force Falcons
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 7-0
Best Win: 34-27 vs. Wyoming
Worst Loss: None
AP Poll Ranking: 19th
Duke Blue Devils
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 5-2
Best Win: 28-7 vs. No. 9 Clemson
Worst Loss: 21-14 vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
AP Poll Ranking: 20th
Tulane Green Wave
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-1
Best Win: 31-21 vs. Memphis
Worst Loss: 37-20 vs. No. 20 Ole Miss
AP Poll Ranking: 22nd
Tennessee Volunteers
Overall Record: 5-2
Best Win: 20-13 vs. Texas A&M
Worst Loss: 29-16 vs. Florida
AP Poll Ranking: 21st
USC Trojans
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Record: 6-2
Best Win: 43-41 vs. Arizona (3OT)
Worst Loss: 48-20 vs. No. 21 Notre Dame
AP Poll Ranking: 24th
Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall Record: 6-2
Best Win: 15-6 vs. Wisconsin
Worst Loss: 12-10 vs. Minnesota
AP Poll Ranking: N/A
