The Washington Huskies and Florida State Seminoles have caused one of the biggest debates in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings thus far. Both teams are undefeated and are leading their respective conferences. They have also taken the fourth and fifth spots in the rankings since the first CFP rankings.
At first, Florida State took the fourth spot and Washington took the fifth spot. However, last night, that finally changed. The Washington Huskies swapped spots with the Florida State Seminoles.
Was this the right decision? Why did this happen? We dive into those questions and more.
Florida State Seminoles Key Injury
One of the biggest factors that likely went into this is an injury that occurred for the Florida State Seminoles. During their Week 12 win over the Miami Hurricanes, QB Jordan Travis suffered a serious leg injury. As a result, he is likely going to be out for the rest of the season.
Note that this is not an official reason why Florida State fell down a spot. CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan stated that Travis’ injury “didn’t have any impact” on the Seminoles falling in the rankings. However, fans and media members alike have speculated that this injury played into this decision.
Washington Huskies’ Big Win
Despite the big injury, the Washington Huskies did something that was hard to ignore this past Saturday. They went on the road and defeated the eleventh-ranked team in the country. The Huskies narrowly defeated the Oregon State Beavers 22-20.
If that was not enough, Washington has had a few big wins in a row. It may not look like it now but they defeated the Utah Utes and USC Trojans in the previous two weeks. Both teams were ranked at the time Washington played each. Plus, do not forget that Washington defeated the Oregon Ducks by a field goal in a classic game earlier this season. Right now, Oregon is ranked sixth in the country.
Florida State Seminoles Less Proven?
There are starting to be doubts about how strong Florida State’s resume is. They play in the ACC and Washington plays in the Pac-12. However, most of the college football world considers the Pac-12 a gauntlet this year whereas the ACC is one of the weaker Power 5 conferences.
Because of this, Florida State lacks a standout conference win this season. Right now, their biggest win of the season goes all the way back to Week 1 when they blew out the LSU Tigers by 21 points. In the ACC, the only team they beat who is currently ranked is the Clemson Tigers. They needed overtime to secure that win.
Since then, Florida State has played irrelevant teams in six of their last seven games. The one big opponent they beat was the Duke Blue Devils. However, QB Riley Leonard re-injured himself in the middle of that game. Plus, Duke is no longer ranked.
What Will Happen With Both Teams?
So, what does this movement mean for both teams? For Washington, little has changed. If they win out, they should be a lock for the College Football Playoff. However, if the Huskies fall before then, that will likely keep them out.
As for Florida State, things just became a lot more uncertain. It leaves them vulnerable to a few unfortunate scenarios. Can they stay ahead of the Texas Longhorns? What about a scenario where the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship? All of that remains to be seen.
Florida State goes on the road to take on the Florida Gators next week and then face the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Championship. Washington faces rival Washington State at home next week. Then, they will likely face Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.
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