In its third edition, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Top 25 saw a good deal of shuffling, but most of it took place in the lower half.
The Top Five (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Iowa) stayed the same while some other teams knocking on the door advanced. After suffering losses, Baylor (10), Stanford (11), and Utah (13) made may for advances from Oklahoma State (6), Oklahoma (7), Florida (8), and Michigan State (9).
But the real shuffling went on outside the Top 10. Oregon's (23) win over Stanford helped them jump back into the Top 25 and also into contention for the Pac-12 North. USC (24) also reentered the rankings and moved into a tie with Utah atop the Pac-12 South after beating Colorado.
LSU (15) fell further after losing to Arkansas and moved into second place in the SEC West behind Alabama. Ole Miss (22) also rejoined the Top 25 and will take on LSU at home this weekend in a matchup that could help Alabama clinch the division early.
The most intriguing advances of the week were Houston (19), North Carolina (17), and Navy (16). Houston and Navy are tied atop the AAC West and close their season against one another in two weeks. Both will be long shots for the CFP, but winning the AAC would certainly earn a New Years Six bowl berth.
Especially with the Pac-12 slipping, North Carolina could make an interesting case for the CFP. If they win out (road games against Virginia Tech and N.C. State), they will win the ACC Coastal with no conference losses and one loss overall. Then they will play Clemson for the ACC Championship, in which a win could secure a place among the final four.
