Top 4 CFP prediction for Week 11: Can Florida State cling to top 4 spot?
By Josh Yourish
Last week, in the first College Football Playoff Rankings of the year, the committee looked favorably upon the unbeaten Seminoles, rewarding Mike Norvell’s team with the No. 4 spot. One spot ahead of fellow unbeaten Washington. After an ugly win in Pittsburgh and Washington’s shootout with USC, can Florida State cling to that top 4 ranking?
Florida State checked in at No. 4 in the AP Poll ahead of the first rankings, so there was optimism that the committee would agree. In fact, the Noles were the first team that the committee did agree with the AP Poll after a top 3 shakeup.
Florida State will need to remain undefeated through the ACC because the conference just doesn’t boast the type of competition that Ohio State, Georgia, and Michigan will be facing. That puts a lot of pressure on Jordan Travis, and the weight of the CFP rankings may have gotten to Florida State against Pitt on Saturday.
Travis was without his top two receivers, Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, but a 24-7 win over a 2-win Pitt team was less than ideal. Meanwhile, teams behind the Seminoles, like Washington and Oregon were making big statements. The big question is; did Florida State do enough?
Florida State should remain in the Top 4 of the CFP rankings
The committee should give Florida State some grace for an ugly performance because it came without Coleman and Wilson. Coleman particularly is viewed as one of the best players in the country and Ohio State would get the same allowance if the Buckeyes struggled against Rutgers without Marvin Harrison Jr. In reality, they struggled against Rutgers even with him.
This is how the top four in the Week 11 CFP rankings should look.
1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Washington
4. Florida State
By placing Ohio State at No. 1, the committee is saying that it values big wins over the eye test because the Buckeyes aren’t passing that one, at least not for me. I think Michigan is the best team in the country, but Jim Harbaugh’s team has not played a single good opponent all year. If you want Ohio State first, you can’t have it both ways with Michigan in the Top 4.
Washington’s win over Oregon is better than Florida State’s wins over LSU and Clemson, so I’ll give the nod to the Huskies. It’s not so much that I think Washington should leapfrog Florida State than I think Michigan should have never been inside the Top 4. If we truly value big wins against strong opponents Washington and Florida State have them.
