The Wolverines return to the top in the CBS Sports 133 rankings after winning the Big Ten title over Iowa
• 4 min read
While the debate rages on over the College Football Playoff Selection Committee selecting Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama as its top four teams in the final rankings, respectively, our college football rankings show a different order.
The CBS Sports 133, which ranks every FBS team thanks to ballots submitted by CBS Sports and 247Sports experts, agrees that Michigan is the No. 1 team in the land after championship weekend. But while the Wolverines’ ascension to the top was noteworthy in the CFP Rankings and AP Top 25 poll, they’ve also made a return to No. 1 in our rankings.
Michigan took over No. 1 on Oct. 9, remaining at the top for five weeks before Georgia jumped back in front in the wake of a dominant win over Ole Miss in mid-November. With the Bulldogs losing to Alabama and Michigan finishing the year with a 13-0 record and third straight Big Ten title, Jim Harbaugh’s group is now recognized not just in our rankings but as a consensus No. 1 heading into the bowl season.
Our voters differ from the selection committee with the ranking of Florida State, however, which has been arguably the most controversial ranking decision in the history of the College Football Playoff. At 13-0 with an ACC Championship Game win over Louisville, the Seminoles check in at No. 3 in our rankings behind Washington and one spot ahead of Texas. After that it’s Alabama — the SEC champion with a head-to-head defeat to Texas — at No. 5 in our rankings followed by Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Missouri and Oklahoma to round out the top 10.
With a limited number of games on championship weekend, there is not too much movement in the rankings. Still, notable adjustments included fallout from an upset in the MAC Championship Game and a strong finish for Boise State after a rough start and midseason coaching change. For more on the week-to-week changes of note, check out the Mover’s Report below the top 25 table.
College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-133 on our rankings page.
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 13-0 | 2 |
| 2 | Washington | 13-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Florida State | 13-0 | 4 |
| 4 | Texas | 12-1 | 6 |
| 5 | Alabama | 12-1 | 8 |
| 6 | Georgia | 12-1 | 1 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 11-1 | 7 |
| 8 | Oregon | 11-2 | 5 |
| 9 | Missouri | 10-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 10-2 | 10 |
| 11 | Penn State | 10-2 | 11 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 10-2 | 12 |
| 13 | LSU | 9-3 | 13 |
| 14 | Arizona | 9-3 | 15 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 9-3 | 16 |
| 16 | Louisville | 10-3 | 14 |
| 17 | SMU | 11-2 | 22 |
| 18 | Iowa | 10-3 | 17 |
| 19 | Oregon State | 8-4 | 19 |
| 20 | Liberty | 13-0 | 20 |
| 21 | Tulane | 11-2 | 18 |
| 22 | NC State | 9-3 | 23 |
| 23 | James Madison | 11-1 | 24 |
| 24 | Oklahoma State | 9-4 | 21 |
| 25 | Clemson | 8-4 | 25 |
Biggest movers
- No. 32 Miami (OH) (+20): A five-game winning streak to close the season gives Chuck Martin’s squad 11 wins on the year and a MAC championship. The RedHawks could have seen their season derailed by a midseason injury to starting quarterback Brett Gabbert, but excellent defense and special teams showed up in a big way down the stretch, especially in the conference title game win over Toledo.
- No. 44 Boise State (+15): The work that Spencer Danielson did to stabilize the Broncos and lead them back to the top of the Mountain West resulted in another conference title for the program and the removal of his interim tag as the team’s coach. Boise State won five of its final six games, and in its current state looks much stronger than the five-loss profile might suggest at first glance.
- No. 17 SMU (+5): The Mustangs close out their AAC era with a conference crown thanks to a strong showing on the road at Tulane on Saturday. Rhett Lashlee now leads this program into the ACC coming off an 11-win regular season with zero losses against conference opponents.
- No. 6 Georgia (-5): One criticism of the post-championship week rankings adjustments has been how a team could drop from No. 1 all the way outside the top five after a field goal defeat on a neutral site. In a vacuum, that argument makes total sense, but in our reality that is the chaotic 2023 college football season there are just too many other teams in the conversation for the top spots in the rankings.
- No. 43 UNLV (-11): The Rebels’ CBS Sports 133 ranking peaked when they were 9-2 heading into the final regular season game of the year, but losing back-to-back games to San Jose State and Boise State — both on home turf — has resulted in a bit of a fall back to the pack. It’s an extremely successful Year 1 for Barry Odom in Las Vegas, but UNLV enters 2024 with a feeling of unfinished business.
- No. 40 Toledo (-14): Favored by more than a touchdown to claim yet another MAC title, Toledo fumbled the opportunity on Saturday in Detroit. The Rockets remain the class of the conference in the big picture, but the rankings position earned by an 11-1 regular season had to be adjusted after falling to Miami (OH) with the championship on the line.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 133: Teams ranked 26-133
