Projecting the College Football Playoff Top 25 for Week 11

The first College Football Playoff poll will be released this week as the regular season enters the final month.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith showed why the Buckeyes remain the team to beat. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The calendar has turned to November, which means college football is just days away from the first College Football Playoff rankings reveal of the season.

There's no doubt who the No. 1 team in the country should be when the rankings are released on Nov. 4, as Ohio State's dominant win over Penn State continued their ho-hum season after being crowned national champions last January.

Week 10 is where contenders began to separate from the pretenders in the race to make the 12-team playoff. Here's Sports Illustrated's projection of what the initial College Football Playoff rankings could look like on Tuesday.

Projected College Football Playoff Top 25 for Week 11

1. Ohio State Buckeyes: 8–0 (5–0 Big Ten)

This Week: Won 38–14 vs. Penn State

Week 11: Away at Purdue

2. Indiana Hoosiers: 9–0 (6–0 Big Ten)

This Week: Won 55–10 at Maryland

Week 11: Away at Penn State

3. Texas A&M Aggies: 8–0 (5–0 SEC)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Away at Missouri

4. Alabama Crimson Tide: 7–1 (5–0 SEC)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Home vs. LSU

5. Georgia Bulldogs: 7–1 (5–1 SEC)

This Week: Won 24–20 vs. Florida

Week 11: Away at Mississippi State

6. Ole Miss Rebels: 8–1 (5–1 SEC)

This Week: Won 30–14 vs. South Carolina

Week 11: Home vs. The Citadel

7. Oregon Ducks: 7–1 (4–1 Big Ten)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Away at Iowa

8. BYU Cougars: 8–0 (5–0 Big 12)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Away at Texas Tech

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 6–2

This Week: Won 25–10 at Boston College

Week 11: Home vs. Navy

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders: 8–1 (5–1 Big 12)

This Week: Won 43–20 at Kansas State

Week 11: Home vs. BYU

11. Virginia Cavaliers: 8–1 (5–0 ACC)

This Week: Won 31–21 at Cal

Week 11: Home vs. Wake Forest

12. Louisville Cardinals: 7–1 (4–1 ACC)

This Week: Won 28–16 at Virginia Tech

Week 11: Home vs. Cal

13. Oklahoma Sooners: 7–2 (3–2 SEC)

This Week: Won 33–27 at No. 14 Tennessee

Week 11: Away at No. 4 Alabama

14. Texas Longhorns: 7–2 (4–1 SEC)

This Week: Won 34–31 vs. No. 9 Vanderbilt

Week 11: Away at Georgia

15. Vanderbilt Commodores: 7–2 (3–2 SEC)

This Week: Lost 34–31 at No. 20 Texas

Week 11: Home vs. Auburn

16. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 8–1 (5–1 ACC)

This Week: Lost 48–36 at NC State

Week 11: Idle

17. Missouri Tigers: 6–2 (2–2 SEC)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Home vs. Texas A&M

18. Michigan Wolverines: 7–2 (5–1 Big Ten)

This Week: Won 21–16 vs. Purdue

Week 11: Idle

19. USC Trojans: 6–2 (4–1 Big Ten)

This Week: Won 21–17 at Nebraska

Week 11: Home vs. Northwestern

20. Utah Utes: 7–2 (4–2 Big 12)

This Week: LATE vs. Cincinnati

Week 11: Away at Baylor

21. Miami Hurricanes: 6–2 (2–2 ACC)

This Week: Lost 26–20 (OT) at SMU

Week 11: Home vs. Syracuse

22. Memphis Tigers: 8–1 (4–1 American)

This Week: Won 38–14 at Rice

Week 11: Home vs. Tulane

23. North Texas Mean Green: 8–1 (4–1 American)

This Week: Won 31–17 vs. Navy

Week 11: Idle

24. Washington Huskies: 6–2 (3–2 Big Ten)

This Week: Idle

Week 11: Away at Wisconsin

25. Pittsburgh Panthers: 7–2 (5–1 ACC)

This Week: Won 35–20 at Stanford

Week 11: Idle

Dropped From Rankings: No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston

Others Considered: San Diego State, South Florida, SMU, Iowa

Full bracket breakdown from SI's Bryan Fischer can be found here.

---

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.