Oct 28, 2014; Grapevine, TX, USA; Selection committee chair Jeff Long speaks to the media after unveiling the top 25 teams in the initial college football playoff rankings at the Gaylord Texan Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The latest set of Top 25 rankings from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee were unveiled Tuesday night, slotting UCLA in at number 11 and stirring major drama by ranking Pac-12 North champion Oregon at #2, ahead of defending national champion and currently undefeated Florida State.
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— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 12, 2014
At first glance, the committee seems to have been highly impressed by the convincing quality of UCLA’s win at Washington, as the Bruins were the highest risers from last week’s poll (#18) to this week’s (#11). On the cusp of the top 10 with two regular season games remaining, at home against USC and Stanford, UCLA looks well positioned to end up in a Big Six non-playoff bowl game (Cotton, Fiesta, Peach, Orange) if it wins both remaining regular season games.
Also, if Arizona State (ranked #6 by the committee) slips up in any of its three remaining games and allows UCLA to win the Pac-12 South division title, UCLA would seem to have a somewhat viable shot at a playoff spot if it could subsequently beat Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
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On a national level, the committee made a statement to the nation by jumping 1-loss Oregon over undefeated Florida State in the rankings. That statement? Play a tougher schedule or win impressively against the foes you’ve got. Florida State, which has struggled in recent weeks with the likes of NC State, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Virginia, will likely win out against its remaining schedule and be selected for the playoff, but its seeding is now in doubt unless its level of play picks up considerably.