College Football Playoff Rankings: Committee Makes Correct Top 4 Decision

If you thought that the last weekend of the college football regular season was going to be anything different than what we have seen all season, then you were sadly mistaken. We saw the Michigan Wolverines stake a claim as the top dog in the Big Ten with a win over the Ohio State Buckeyes, getting them to the Big Ten title game. But they were not the only team who stamped their ticket to their conference title game in the final week. The Wolverines' opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers, claimed the West Division.

In the Big 12, the Kansas State Wildcats took care of business and picked up the W as they headed to Arlington to take on the TCU Horned Frogs for the Big 12 title. While out West, the Utah Utes won but also had some help from the Oregon State Beavers, which upset the Oregon Ducks, putting the Utes in a rematch against the USC Trojans for the Pac-12 title.

The Ducks were not the only team upset as both the LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers lost on Saturday, eliminating their hopes for spots in the College Football Playoffs. With so much being played out in the regular season finale, let's see how it affected the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Here are the NEW College Football Playoff Rankings.

What the Committee Got Wrong: Clemson Only Drops One Spot Due to Poser ACC

RELATED: AP Poll: Major Upsets Shake Up Late-Season Rankings

At one point in the season, the Clemson Tigers were undefeated; and they deserved the rankings they were given based on their record. But this is not a top-ten team. The Tigers only dropped one spot after losing to unranked South Carolina on Saturday. But because the Gamecocks are now ranked 18th, Clemson is getting the benefit of the doubt. Clemson has two losses to teams with eight combined losses. Another argument is that they have wins over Florida State, which is overrated. The committee's brand bias is apparent here, proving that this Tigers team would get into the 12-Team Playoff. And unless they win the ACC title, they shouldn't.

What the Committee Got Right: Ohio State Only Falls to 5

RELATED: Donovan Edwards Torches Ohio State's Defense Twice, Helps Michigan Blow Out Buckeyes

After the Ohio State Buckeyes lost Saturday, many said they should drop to the six-to-seven range in the College Football Playoff Rankings. If you were one of those people, we need to talk. Tennessee lost brutally at home against the Gamecocks for their SECOND loss of the season last week — and only fell four spots. Clemson lost their SECOND game of the season this past weekend and only fell one. The notion that Ohio State could have or should have fallen past five after suffering their first loss of the season to the now No. 2 team in the country is downright disrespectful. But luckily for the committee, they gave the Buckeyes the respect they deserved.

Current Final Ranking Projections

1. Georgia Bulldogs (13-0) SEC Champs
2. Michigan Wolverines (13-0) Big Ten Champs
3. TCU Horned Frogs (13-0) Big 12 Champs
4. USC Trojans (12-1) Pac-12 Champs
5. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) Big Ten East Runner-Up
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) SEC West Runner-Up

Conferences with the Most Teams in the Top 25

• Tied-1^st: Pac-12 - 6 Teams
• Tied-1^st: SEC - 6 Teams
• 2^nd: ACC - 4 Teams
• Tied 3^rd: Big Ten - 3 Teams
• Tied 3^rd: Big 12- 3 Teams
• 4^th: AAC - 2 Teams
• 5^th: Independents - 1 Team

Looking Ahead to Conference Championship Saturday

There are Five Top 25 games in Week 13:

• No. 18 Tulane Green Wave vs. No. 22 UCF Knights
• No. 14 LSU Tigers vs. No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
• No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats vs. No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs
• No. 11 Utah Utes vs. No. 4 USC Trojans
• No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 9 Clemson Tigers

Upsets Last Week:

• No. 5 LSU Tigers upset by the Texas A&M Aggies
• No. 8 Clemson Tigers by the South Carolina Gamecocks
• No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels upset by the NC State Wolfpack
• No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels upset by the Mississippi State Bulldogs
• No. 9 Oregon Ducks upset by the No. 21 Oregon State Beavers
• No. 25 Louisville Cardinals upset by the Kentucky Wildcats

Potential Upsets this Week:

• No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats vs. No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs
• No. 11 Utah Utes vs. No. 4 USC Trojans
• No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 9 Clemson Tigers

MORE: What Matt Rhule and Luke Fickell Mean For the Messy Big Ten West