Alabama at number one? Check. Clemson at number two? Now that’s a head-scratcher. While the win against Auburn earlier in the season was (and still is) highly impressive, victories over Louisville and Virginia Tech (both now unranked) no longer carry the same weight they once did. With that said, Clemson is more than deserving of a Playoff spot given that they have just one loss on the season and they did defeat a scrappy defensive program in NC State on the road. However, their overall body of work combined with their shaky victories against Georgia Tech and Florida State has to be a bit concerning for a team that is ranked right behind arguably the best all-around team in the country.
College Football Playoff Rankings 2017: Week 12
While Miami should feel a bit slighted at being ranked third after beating Notre Dame in dominant fashion, they at least are in the top four and can easily force Clemson out of the Playoff completely assuming they can win their last two regular-season matchups and eventually defeat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Although Oklahoma fans may feel a bit disheartened that Heisman Favorite Baker Mayfield and the Sooners just made the Playoff rankings this week, the fact remains that Oklahoma still has a questionable defense, which is an Achilles Heel that was exploited by the Clemson Tigers in the Semi-Finals two years ago (Final Score: Clemson 37 Oklahoma 17).
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Clemson |
| 3 | Miami |
| 4 | Oklahoma |
| 5 | Wisconsin |
| 6 | Auburn |
| 7 | Georgia |
| 8 | Notre Dame |
| 9 | Ohio State |
| 10 | Penn State |
| 11 | USC |
| 12 | TCU |
| 13 | Oklahoma State |
| 14 | Washington State |
| 15 | UCF |
| 16 | Mississippi State |
| 17 | Michigan State |
| 18 | Washington |
| 19 | NC State |
| 20 | LSU |
| 21 | Memphis |
| 22 | Stanford |
| 23 | Northwestern |
| 24 | Michigan |
| 25 | Boise State |
Although Alabama’s victory over Mississippi State on Saturday was not very convincing (won 31-24), the fact that they persevered down the stretch while missing four of their starting linebackers cannot be discounted. When healthy, the Crimson Tide have one of the deepest and all-around dominant rosters in college football.
Dropped From Rankings: Iowa, Iowa State, Virginia Tech
New Additions: Boise State (25), Michigan (24), Stanford (22)
