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The second week of the OutKick Top-12 has been released, and once again we have some interesting selections for who would be in the College Football Playoff if the season ended today. 

The best part about this new Top-12 is that we want your feedback on how the teams are ranked, especially since we don’t have the old BCS formula to rely on. Now, we won’t be convening on Zoom each week as the college football playoff committee will start doing soon, but our expert minds have come together to give you our best opinions on where we currently stand. 

This was once again a wild weekend of football. USC fumbled an opportunity to beat Michigan, and left Ann Arbor with a loss that could’ve easily been avoided. But, here we stand, with the Wolverines grabbing a very nice win, without much success from QB Alex Orgi. 

Out in Oklahoma, it was Tennessee who took care of business against the Sooners, winning 25-15 with a dominating defense. It got so bad for the Sooners that starting quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched towards the end of the first half. As for the Vols, they certainly have one of the best defense in all of college football, and they proved it on Saturday night in Norman. 

Josh Heupel went back to Oklahoma and left with another signature win, thanks to his Tennessee team

NORMAN, Okla. – Head coach Josh Heupel of the Tennessee Volunteers questions head line judge Nicholas Theriot on the final drive for the the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024.  (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

As for Missouri, they had to escape with a win over Vanderbilt, and made it clear that they have a number of problems on defense. This should force some movement within the top-12, as they don’t deserve to be in the Top-10, in my opinion. 

Here is the list of pickers for each week’s OutKick Top-12 Poll. 

  • Clay Travis
  • Trey Wallace
  • Chad Withrow
  • Jonathan Hutton
  • Dan Dakich
  • Les Miles
  • Brock Huard
  • Tim Brando
  • Lou Holtz
  • Tommy Tuberville
  • Jeannine Edwards
  • Will Cain
  • Ricky Cobb
  • Kelly Stewart

The OutKick College Football Playoff Top-12 Poll, Week Four Rankings

Ok, after our group of pollsters crunched the numbers for this week, the second OutKick poll is now finished. We are changing it up this week, with our panel voting on the best twelve teams in the country that would make the college football playoff, along with one at-large bid. 

So, here’s how the second poll was decided. 

OutKick's Elite 12

OutKick’s Elite 12

How College Football Playoff’s Would Look. Each Expert Vote This Week

Ok, I know you’re eagerly waiting to know how each of these guest pickers put together their poll, so here it is. A complete breakdown of each spot, from every one of our pollsters. 

There were two picks for what the College Football Playoff would look like right now if the season ended that stood out to me. 

First, former LSU head coach Les Miles has the Tigers ranked 9th in his standings. This is a curious pick for me, given that the Tigers seem to be struggling, and even though the final score was a 34-17 win over UCLA, LSU does not look like a team that is hitting on all cylinders right now. 

The OutKick Staff’s Picks

The other is Lou Holtz having Notre Dame ranked 10th in what would be his final college football playoff ranking. This just doesn’t feel like a Fighting Irish team that is offensively prepared for the playoffs right now, struggling to score 28 points against Miami (OH) this past weekend in the win. The Irish have a long ways to go when it comes to that side of the ball, and if they continue playing like this, they will certainly catch another loss. But, this is why we have a number of opinions. 

Also, the overall consensus about Missouri has changed this week. It took the Tigers two overtimes to beat Vanderbilt, and the defense is causing Eli Drinkwitz headaches at the moment. I know what this Tigers team has on offense, but if they don’t figure out their front-seven, it will cost them down the stretch. 

I tip my cap to Dan Dakich, as he has Indiana as the 11th best team if the final standings were released today. The Hoosiers have a manageable stretch, but don’t play a ranked opponent until November, when Michigan comes to town. 

LISTEN TO DAN DAKICH ANNOUNCE THE ELITE 12 ON DON’T @ME

Outkicks Elite Top 12

I want to hear what you think about the College Football Playoff rankings that have been compiled. So, email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com and let me know who you think got it wrong, or which teams are being overlooked.