College Football Rankings: Robert Griffin III unveils new Top 12 after Week 9

Week 9 is behind us, and Robert Griffin III has updated his Top 12 College Football Playoff contender rankings. The former Heisman Trophy winner made a few notable choices — including his projected No. 1 overall seed remaining Indiana.

Five of Griffin’s Top 12 teams come from the SEC, but only one of those would earn a first-round bye in his projections. The Big Ten also hold Griffin’s No. 1 and No. 2 overall seeds, with the Hoosiers coming in atop the list.

Keeping that in mind, here’s Griffin’s CFP projections heading into Week 10. There’s still plenty of changes that could come to his Top 12, but this is where the former Heisman winner stands at this moment in time.

1. Indiana

Indiana wasted no time blowing past UCLA, keeping the Bruins from entertaining any real ideas of a big upset. It wasn’t a perfectly clean day, as the Mendozas threw two interceptions in the contest.

Still, the Hoosiers were in control from the start. The road ahead continues to look perfectly navigable, mostly thanks to Penn State’s collapse. There isn’t a Top 25 opponent left on the schedule, though three of the final four games are away from home.

2. Ohio State

Ohio State was on a bye week after getting through the first half of the schedule plus one undefeated. There wasn’t really a close contest in there, with the 14-7 win over Texas in the season opener the only game that was decided by one score.

Now, it’s up to Ohio State to avoid an upset at the hands of Penn State. Having the extra week of rest and preparation should certainly help. Beyond that, only the finale against Michigan looks like a real test.

3. Texas A&M

It was a back-and-forth affair with LSU early on, and it bogged down a little for Texas A&M thanks to a pair of Marcel Reed interceptions. Then the Aggies simply turned it on in the second half and ran away with it.

The final game of a brutal three-game road swing is here now, with a road trip to a borderline top 25 Missouri team. That, though, will come after a much-needed bye week.

4. BYU

Undefeated BYU continues to gain respect. They dismantled Iowa State this past weekend, following up their big win in the Holy War with another conference dub by 14 points.

They’ll enjoy a bye week this weekend, and get ready for a monstrous showdown with Texas Tech when they return. It could have major College Football Playoff implications, and the winner will be in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 moving forward.

5. Georgia Tech

The Haynes King show rolled on, and at this point it’s fair to wonder if anyone can stop the talented dual-threat quarterback. Syracuse certainly had no answers in a game it trailed in early on and could never get back into.

King accounted for 304 yards passing and three touchdowns, as well as 91 yards rushing and two more scores. He’s the heart and soul of the top 25 outfit, and Georgia Tech has a real shot at the College Football Playoff as a result.

6. Alabama

Alabama trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter but found a way to win anyway. A late strip and steal allowed the Crimson Tide to flip the script quickly in the fourth quarter, and Germie Bernard punched it in with a 25-yard touchdown run to give Alabama the lead and the win.

It was Bernard’s second touchdown in the final three minutes of the game. Stars show up when they need to, and he certainly did for Alabama.

7. Oregon

Oregon had a much tougher than anticipated meeting with Wisconsin, which did a nice job keeping the Ducks from hitting explosive plays. Still, the game was never really in question in terms of game flow.

The biggest concern for Oregon coming out of the game was the health of quarterback Dante Moore, who took a nasty shot to the nose and was gushing blood during the game. He checked out and did not return, and his status will certainly bear monitoring going forward.

8. Georgia

Following the big win over Ole Miss a week ago, Georgia had a bye week to rest and recuperate ahead of the Florida game. The momentum gained from the Ole Miss contest is real though, especially after the Rebels validated it with a top 25 win over Oklahoma on Saturday.

Georgia has a couple tricky tests in the back half of the schedule, and the margin for error is small. Home dates against Texas and Georgia Tech could provide a real challenge.

9. Ole Miss

While Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy were excellent offensively, the story of the day was the Ole Miss defense. After collapsing a week prior against Georgia, the unit buckled down to perplex John Mateer and keep him off-kilter throughout the second half.

Oklahoma simply couldn’t get back into the game after falling behind in the fourth quarter. Now, the Rebels are poised to lock up a playoff berth. No top 25 opponents remain on the schedule and the only road game remaining is the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State.

10. Texas Tech (+1)

Texas Tech blanked Oklahoma State by a score of 42-0 this past weekend. It marked a nice bounce back for the Red Raiders after their loss to Arizona State during the previous weekend.

A road trip to Kansas State is next on the docket for Texas Tech. However, a huge matchup with BYU looms large in the distance afterwards. The Red Raiders can’t get caught looking past the Wildcats though.

11. Miami (-1)

It was a close game for a half, and there were moments when it looked like Miami might be in trouble again. Then the Hurricanes buckled down, rode the ground game and put the Cardinal away for good.

Mark Fletcher scored three touchdowns on the ground and ran for 106 yards, as the Hurricanes piled up 199 yards rushing as a team. For Miami, win and advance is plenty good enough for now. Next up is a tough road test at SMU.

12. Vanderbilt

In a defensive battle, Vanderbilt finally broke things open with an 80-yard touchdown run in the second half. Then it hung on. The defense was stout, coming up with a fourth-down stop near the goal line that knocked Missouri starting quarterback Beau Pribula from the game.

The win was the program’s second straight over a ranked opponent, both at home. Now, it appears likely that only one top 25 opponent will remain on the schedule. Up next is a road trip to a Texas team that has been very up and down.