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ESPN staff
For the sixth consecutive week Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State are unanimous top-three selections by ESPN’s writers for the College Football Playoff.
A week after Georgia made things interesting, it was Alabama that went down to the wire. The Crimson Tide sat Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young with an injury and replacement Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns in his place. Milroe is the fourth Alabama player with at least three touchdowns in his debut, joining Young, Mac Jones and Joe Namath. Even so, missed kicks and turnovers by Alabama kept Texas A&M in the game, and a Crimson Tide penalty had the Aggies on the 2-yard line with 3 seconds to play. The pass from A&M quarterback Haynes King on the final play of the game fell incomplete, though.
It wasn’t so tense elsewhere. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 361 yards and six touchdowns and the Buckeyes outgained Michigan State by 412 yards (614 to 202). Stroud is the first player in Big Ten history with three six-touchdown passing games.
Georgia’s defense suffocated Auburn, allowing Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford to complete only five passes thrown more than 5 yards downfield. Georgia pressured Ashford on 36% of his dropbacks. Meanwhile on offense, the Bulldogs rushed for 292 yards, their highest total since a 2020 game against Missouri.
Clemson picked up the majority of the fourth-place votes this week, with USC, Michigan and Oregon also receiving consideration.
Here’s a look at how ESPN’s college football reporters see the current playoff picture.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Blake Baumgartner: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Bill Connelly: 1. Ohio State 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4. Michigan
Heather Dinich: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
David Hale: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. USC
Chris Low: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Ohio State 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4. Clemson
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Oregon
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Alex Scarborough: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Mark Schlabach: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Dave Wilson: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. Clemson