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SEATTLE — There was drama in Week 11, but nothing overly unexpected.
Georgia rolled, Michigan took care of business without its head coach, and Washington survived a scare at home. And LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels decided to do everything on offense — 372 passing yards and three touchdowns, and 234 rushing yards and two touchdowns — to etch his name in the history books.
There was a head scratcher of a game, though, with UCF unleashing on Oklahoma State for a 45-3 win. Apparently the Bedlam hangover is real.
We're getting close to the end and we have five Power Five teams with a 10-0 record, which makes for some entertaining games to closeout the regular season. Which team will be the first to drop a game? At least Michigan or Ohio State has to be one of those teams eventually.
Here's the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press this week that will be counted toward the official consensus poll released later today before the College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday.
1. Georgia
I've held off on putting Georgia at the top simply based on its resume. But it's difficult to keep that up after a 52-17 win over a good — not quite great — Ole Miss team. The Bulldogs now have wins over Kentucky, Missouri and Ole Miss — all ranked teams at the time they played. More importantly, Brock Bowers is back to add to Georgia's offensive firepower.
A three-peat remains likely, but there are several worthy suitors to dethrone the two-time reigning champs.
2. Michigan
Drama. Drama. Drama.
If you got past the off-the-field issues surrounding Michigan, the Wolverines took a big step forward Saturday with a win over Penn State. James Franklin certainly didn't help the Nittany Lions, but the Wolverines did what it needed to to win. And how about Michigan just deciding to run the ball 32 times in a row knowing that Penn State couldn't stop them?
3. Ohio State
Yawn. Ohio State walked through a 38-3 win over a Michigan State team looking to the offseason. At least Marvin Harrison Jr., a leading contender in the Heisman Trophy race, set a record as the first Ohio State player to have multiple 1,000 yards seasons.
4. Florida State
Yes, Florida State was my previous No. 1 team, but I've felt like they've been on shaky ground. The Seminoles continue to win games, but a team like Georgia looks more complete and deserving. And I've found myself believing there are a couple teams under them that I could make a case for being above them, so here we are at No. 4 this week.
5. Oregon
Oregon tried to make a game of it late against USC Saturday, but it never really felt in doubt. I still believe Oregon is the most complete team in the Pac-12 and deserving to be above Washington — yes, I realize the Ducks lost to the Huskies. If Oregon and Washington play again — and I suspect they will — I believe Oregon has the upper hand.
6. Washington
Washington staved off a scare from a Utah team that had all the momentum in the first half to take a 4-point lead. But for as much as Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington offense have been talked about all season, it was the Huskies defense that held Utah scoreless in the second half to claim a win. Washington has the pieces to compete, but it doesn't quite feel complete.
7. Texas
Texas continues to be a confusing team. The Longhorns controlled a 26-6 lead going into the fourth quarter against TCU and then decided to allow the Horned Frogs to score 20 points to close the gap. I've been tempted to put Alabama over Texas, especially based on the recent trajectory of the two programs, but I'm keeping it as is for now. But the Crimson Tide is closing that gap incredibly fast.
8. Alabama
If not for the early-season woes — if we can really call them that — Alabama is easily in the mix for a top-three spot. The Crimson Tide look like a different team as of late and continue to quietly put teams away like Nick Saban's teams have done for years. Don't count Alabama out at all, because the No. 8 next to their name is likely misleading.
9. Louisville
It's at this point in the rankings where I believe there is a big gap. Louisville needed a 17-point performance in the fourth quarter to beat a bad Virginia team, but they have good wins over Duke and Notre Dame. Those wins have faded over time, but still worthy no less. I honestly don't love Louisville, but someone has got to jump up in the rankings.
10. Oregon State
Oregon State put down a bad Stanford team with ease. The Beavers could swap Louisville, but there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason just yet. Oregon State's best wins come against UCLA — the Bruins got beat by a bad Arizona State team at home — and Utah, but have to closeout the season against Washington and Oregon. The Beavers have been solid, but can it continue?
Checking in: James Madison
It's a great team with an undefeated record, but there's not really a signature win. And unfortunately, we won't get to see anything of substance in the postseason as the university continues its transition to FBS.
Dropping out: UCLA
Uh ... what happened, Bruins?
In consideration: Iowa, UNLV, Toledo, Liberty, SMU, NC State
UNLV is really good and needs to be taken serious; I wanted to rank them but couldn't find a spot (even if I wanted to remove Tulane). Toledo and Liberty suffer from the same thing James Madison does, so it hasn't been easy for me to move them in.
If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.
