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The College Football Playoff released its latest rankings and the two highest rated teams are one’s that either need help to maybe even win their conference or is eliminated from earning a New Year’s Six Bowl game.
Boise State is the former team and are ranked No. 19 with a 10-1 record and the other is No. 20 Houston who shot up the rankings after they crushed Louisville. However, the Cougars can not win the American so they are out.
Boise State can not get to the Mountain West title game unless they first beat Air Force on Friday night and they need New Mexico to defeat Wyoming for the Broncos to remain in the mix.
Western Michigan is undefeated at 11-0 and has a huge matchup against Toledo for the right to go to the MAC title game. However, these Broncos are ranked 21 yet they have the most clear path to the Cotton Bowl, but if Boise State gets the help they need then the MAC Broncos are out of the running.
Navy cracks the ranking at the 25th spot but they also have a shot to get to the Cotton Bowl by having Western Michigan not winning the MAC and Boise State not winning the Mountain West. There is a scenario that could get wacky if Navy loses to Army the week after since that game still counts, but that is another article for another day.
Here are the complete rankings.
| Rank | Conference | Prev week | Week 12 result | |
| 1 | Alabama, 11-0 | SEC | 1 | W vs. Chattanooga, 31-3 |
| 2 | Ohio State, 10-1 | Big Ten | 2 | W at Michigan State, 17-16 |
| 3 | Michigan, 10-1 | Big Ten | 3 | W vs. Indiana, 20-10 |
| 4 | Clemson, 10-1 | ACC | 4 | W at Wake Forest, 35-13 |
| 5 | Washington, 10-1 | Pac-12 | 6 | W vs. Arizona State, 44-18 |
| 6 | Wisconsin, 9-2 | Big Ten | 7 | W at Purdue, 49-20 |
| 7 | Penn State, 9-2 | Big Ten | 8 | W at Rutgers, 39-0 |
| 8 | Oklahoma, 9-2 | Big 12 | 9 | W at WVU, 56-28 |
| 9 | Colorado, 9-2 | Pac-12 | 10 | W vs. WSU, 38-24 |
| 10 | Oklahoma State, 9-2 | Big 12 | 11 | W at TCU, 31-6 |
| 11 | Louisville, 9-2 | ACC | 5 | L at Houston, 36-10 |
| 12 | USC, 8-3 | Pac-12 | 13 | W at UCLA, 36-14 |
| 13 | Auburn, 8-3 | SEC | 15 | W vs. Alabama A&M, 55-0 |
| 14 | Florida State, 8-3 | ACC | 17 | W at Syracuse, 45-14 |
| 15 | Florida, 8-2 | SEC | 23 | W at LSU, 16-10 |
| 16 | Nebraska, 9-2 | Big Ten | 18 | W vs. Maryland, 28-7 |
| 17 | Tennessee, 8-3 | SEC | 19 | W vs. Missouri, 63-37 |
| 18 | West Virginia, 8-2 | Big 12 | 14 | L vs. Oklahoma, 56-28 |
| 19 | Boise State, 10-1 | MWC | 20 | W vs. UNLV, 42-25 |
| 20 | Houston, 9-2 | AAC | NR | W vs. Louisville, 36-10 |
| 21 | Western Michigan, 11-0 | MAC | 21 | W vs. Buffalo, 38-0 |
| 22 | Utah, 8-3 | Pac-12 | 12 | L vs. Oregon, 30-28 |
| 23 | Washington State, 8-3 | Pac-12 | 22 | L at Colorado, 38-24 |
| 24 | Stanford, 8-3 | Pac-12 | 24 | W at Cal, 45-31 |
| 25 | Navy | AAC | NR | W at ECU, 66-31 |