College Football Playoff rankings: Who are the top four teams in fifth CFP poll of 2023?

Kyle Irving

Crissy Froyd

College Football Playoff rankings: Who are the top four teams in fifth CFP poll of 2023? image

Week 13 of the 2023 college football season is in the books, as is the regular season for the majority of the country's teams.

With the conference championship games next up on the schedule for the qualifying programs, the College Football Playoff picture is days away from being finalized.

How did the CFP committee view the top 25 teams in the nation following Week 13? Here's how the rankings look this week.

MORE: Breaking down every College Football Playoff scenario ahead of championship weekend

College Football Playoff rankings 2023

Who are the top four CFP teams in the fifth poll of 2023?

Last week, the top four teams in the CFP rankings were Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and Washington, in that order.  

Michigan's dramatic win over Ohio State prompted the most significant shakeup in the rankings to date, with the Buckeyes dropping out of the top four. 

Among the other two teams in the top four, the Bulldogs maintained their undefeated record, defeating in-state rival Georgia Tech, 31-23. Washington, meanwhile, staved off a potential upset from Washington State in the Apple Cup with a game-winning field goal from kicker Grady Gross. 

The Buckeyes' loss was Florida State's gain, as the Seminoles remained undefeated with a win over Florida to position themselves for a top-four spot heading into the ACC Championship Game against Louisville. 

Ranking Team Record
1 Georgia 12-0
2 Michigan 12-0
3 Washington 12-0
4 Florida State 12-0

Who are the first two teams out of the top four in the fifth CFP poll of 2023?

With FSU benefiting from the Buckeyes' loss, the committee has four one-loss teams in contention for the next two slots.

Oregon is next in line after the Ducks breezed through rivalry week, taking care of business against Oregon State, 31-7 on Friday.  

Texas and Alabama were also in the mix here, but Ohio State still claimed the No. 6 spot despite falling to Michigan. All three teams are poised to move up should any of the top teams stumble in conference championship games.

Ranking Team Record
5 Oregon 11-1
6 Ohio State 11-1

MORE: Ohio State's path to College Football Playoff is not as far-fetched as you think

College Football Playoff top 25 rankings from the fifth CFP poll of 2023

Ranking Team Record
1 Georgia 12-0
2 Michigan 12-0
3 Washington 12-0
4 Florida State 12-0
5 Oregon 11-1
6 Ohio State 11-1
7 Texas 11-1
8 Alabama 11-1
9 Missouri 10-2
10 Penn State 10-2
11 Ole Miss 10-2
12 Oklahoma 10-2
13 LSU 9-3
14 Louisville 10-2
15 Arizona 9-3
16 Iowa 10-2
17 Notre Dame 9-3
18 Oklahoma State 9-3
19 NC State 9-3
20 Oregon State 8-4
21 Tennessee 8-4
22 Tulane 11-1
23 Clemson 8-4
24 Liberty 12-0
25 Kansas State 8-4

MORE: Updated bowl projections entering championship week

What New Year's 6 bowl games would look like

Here's how the top-tier bowl games are looking after Week 13, according to projections from SN's Bill Bender:

  • Cotton Bowl (Dec. 29): Texas vs. Missouri
  • Peach Bowl (Dec. 30): Tulane vs. Penn State
  • Orange Bowl (Dec. 30): Ohio State vs. Louisville
  • Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1): Alabama vs. Oregon
  • Rose Bowl - semifinal (Jan. 1): Michigan vs. Washington
  • Sugar Bowl - semifinal (Jan. 1): Georgia vs. Florida State

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.

Crissy Froyd

Crissy Froyd Photo

Crissy Froyd is a content producer at The Sporting News covering college football, the NFL and other sports. A graduate of LSU in 2021, she has nine years' experience writing about football across all levels, specializing in quarterback analysis and the NFL Draft. Her work previously appeared in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, among other outlets.