Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Move Up To No. 8 In College Football Playoff Rankings
November 29, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The Colorado Buffaloes moved up another spot in the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, jumping ahead of Oklahoma to No. 8.
The 10-2 Buffs moved up on the strength of their win over Utah last weekend while Oklahoma had the week off.
Colorado will play Washington — which moved up to No. 4 in the CFP rankings — in Friday's 7 p.m. Pac-12 Championship game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. A win over the Huskies would no doubt boost the Buffs standings when the final CFP rankings are released Sunday, when bowl pairings will also be announced.
Five Pac-12 teams remained in the CFP top 25. Along with Colorado and Washington, USC moved up a spot to No. 11, Stanford moved from 24th to 18th and Utah moved from 22nd to 20th, despite the loss to Colorado. Washington State dropped out after its loss last weekend to Washington.
The top four consisted of Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Washington. The top four in Sunday's final rankings will advance to the CFP semifinals, which will be played Dec. 31 in the Peach Bowl (Atlanta) and Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.). The national championship will be played Jan. 9 in Tampa, Fla.
Michigan, ranked No. 3 last week, dropped to No. 5. Along with Ohio State and Michigan, Wisconsin (No. 6) and Penn State (No. 7) give the Big Ten four teams in the top 10.
Sunday's final rankings are important for more than just the final four. They will also determine bowl pairings. A win against the Huskies would likely send CU to the Rose Bowl; a loss would open up a number of scenarios that would depend on how the committee ranked Colorado and USC.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
