Colorado moves up in College Football Playoff rankings

BOULDER, Colo. — The Colorado Buffaloes moved up a few spots in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday.

The CFP rankings determine which 12 teams will be selected for the newly expanded College Football Playoff, which begins on Dec. 20 and ends with the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20.

The Buffs’ No. 17 CFP ranking is three spots better than their No. 20 ranking in the first standings, which were released on Nov. 5. They are currently ranked 18th in the Associated Press Top 25 College Football Poll. 

Colorado has an overall record of 7-2, and a 5-1 record in the Big 12, and they control their own destiny in the playoff chase. The Buffaloes are alone in second place in the Big 12, one game behind unbeaten BYU, and are the conference’s second-highest ranked team in the AP poll. They don’t meet in the regular season. If both run the table, they would play in the conference championship game.

Here are the complete CFP rankings:

1. Oregon (10-0)

2. Ohio State (8-1)

3. Texas (8-1)

4. Penn State (8-1)

5. Indiana (10-0)

6. BYU (9-0)

7. Tennessee (8-1)

8. Notre Dame (8-1)

9. Miami (9-1)

10. Alabama (7-2)

11. Ole Miss (8-2)

12. Georgia (7-2)

13. Boise State (8-1)

14. SMU (8-1)

15. Texas A&M (7-2)

16. Kansas State (7-2)

17. Colorado (7-2)

18. Washington State (8-1)

19. Louisville (6-3)

20. Clemson (7-2)

21. South Carolina (6-3)

22. LSU (6-3)

23. Missouri (7-2)

24. Army (9-0)

25. Tulane (8-2)

Next on the Buffs’ schedule is Utah, followed by Kansas and Oklahoma State.

The CFP selection committee will release new rankings every Tuesday for the rest of the season. The final rankings will come out on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.