The College Football Playoff Rankings, Explained

Remaining games: at Michigan State, at Minnesota, Illinois

Talk about a team that has come back from last year. The Wildcats, who went 3-9 in 2019, have been perfect but not dominant. Their wins have rarely been blowouts — only one, a 43-3 pummeling of Maryland on Oct. 24, was by more than 10 points — but Northwestern has already beaten Wisconsin, the preseason favorite in the Big Ten’s West Division. The Northwestern defense, which made life miserable for Wisconsin when the Badgers were on third down, has been the difference, allowing fewer than 13 points a game. Brandon Joseph, a defensive back from College Station, Texas, has five interceptions, the most in the Power 5.

No. 9 Georgia (5-2)

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-playoff-rankings.html