The College Football Playoff is a format that allows for the top four teams in America according to the College Football Committee to compete for a national title. The year of the transfer has switched up the landscape for the playoffs this upcoming January. This upcoming post season will not see the likes of Alabama and Clemson; two teams who have been to six of the last eight college football playoffs. Many believe that this is refreshing for college football since the fans want to see more schools have an opportunity to cement their names in history. Because of their great seasons, the committee has placed the following teams in the top ten.

#1 Georgia Bulldogs (10-0)

The Bulldogs have been on a tear for the past two seasons. Last year, the team won the National Championship against a very good Alabama squad. This year, Kirby Smart has been able to fill in the holes in the various positions of the players that left for the NFL Draft last year. Georgia looks like it is beginning to take the place of what Alabama has been the past decade. They have been led by quarterback Stetson Bennett, an experienced player and great leader. He has passed for 2895 yards, while completing 68% of his passes. He is also shifty in the open field with 144 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Their ground game is led by Dalijun Edwards, who has rushed for 500 yards and 7 touchdowns. Defensively the team only allows 12.9 points per game along with only 269.8 yards per game. The team has cemented themselves as not only the leaders of the SEC, but the country.

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0)
The Ohio State Buckeyes have been doing what they are expected to do year after year by getting to double digit wins without a single loss. The Buckeyes are always in contention for the playoff and this year is no different. Quarterback CJ Stroud leads the team by example through his 2750 yards passing with the nation’s leading 34 touchdowns. These numbers could be even higher if not for him sitting out most fourth quarters due to the margin of victory his team is winning by. Averaging 46.8 points per game offensively, Ohio State’s 15.6 points allowed per game shows the true dominance this program has over the Big 10 conference. The big matchup for this squad is the showdown with the Wolverines at home in two weeks. There is a good chance the two will be undefeated going into that game and the winner will not only have the bragging rights of the rivalry, but also be in the college football playoff.

#3 Michigan Wolverines (10-0)

Coach John Harbaugh has started to hit his stride in 2022 as the leader of one of the most historic football brands in all of college football. After a rough 2020 season many doubted the coach, but he has bounced back in a big way the last two years, but especially this year. Just like Georgia, this team was in the playoff last year and was led by veterans who left for the draft. Harbaugh has shown his coaching ability by getting the most out of his new players in order to fill the shoes of those who left. J.J. McCarthy won the quarterback job as a sophomore during the team’s contest against Hawaii in week two. He has passed for 1744 yards with 14 touchdowns, while showing his elusiveness with his 195 yards rushing along with 3 touchdowns. Blake Corum, Michigan’s running back and Heisman contender, has led the team in rushing with 1349 yards and 17 touchdowns. The offense is a hard-nosed power run style with play action off of it, which so far has proven to be almost unstoppable for defenses. Additionally, their own defense has led the nation by allowing only 11.2 points per game. As stated before, their true big test is against the Buckeyes of Ohio State in Columbus the last week of the season. A win there will not only put them in the playoff, but it will also complete the resurgence of Wolverine football.

#4 TCU Horned Frogs (10-0)
The Horned Frogs have been a surprising team this year to say the least. No one had TCU going into the final weeks of the season undefeated. The Big 12 has been open the last two years due to the fact that Oklahoma and Texas haven’t had extreme dominance over the rest of the conference. This has allowed teams such as Oklahoma State and TCU to become top teams. Although Oklahoma State has dropped off, the Horned Frogs are as strong as ever. Quarterback Max Duggan has passed for 2531 yards and 25 touchdowns with most of these coming from the deep ball. Catching those passes is top wideout Kendre Miller, who has 716 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Star running back Kendre Miller balances out the passing game with his 1147 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. The defensive has been respectable with allowing 26.1 points per game, but with such a strong offense that is all they need. TCU is looking to avenge the 2014 team who was pushed out of the top four even though they were third in the nation the last week of the year. If the Horned Frogs win out the committee would have no choice but to put this squad in the playoff.

#5 Tennesse Volunteers (9-1)

‘Rocky Top’ Tennessee has been one of the most surprising teams as well this season. They are entering the end of a rough SEC schedule with only one loss to the number one seed right now in Georgia. The team has beaten Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, Florida, and Pittsburgh, all of which were ranked at the time. Fifth year senior Hendon Hooker is the leader of this squad throwing for 2888 yards and 24 touchdowns, along with 5 touchdowns on the ground. His favorite target is Jalin Hyatt, who has 1116 yards receiving with 15 touchdowns which leads the country. Defensively the team has been solid enough to allow their high powered offense to outscore its opponents. Their loss to Georgia has eliminated them from the SEC Championship but if the Vols win out this season it will be hard to keep them out of the playoff.

#6 LSU Tigers (8-2)
Baton Rouge has been on the rise this year with the new hire of Brian Kelly as head coach of the program. Just two years ago the Tigers were undefeated national champs but departures from stars and a coaching scandal led them to fall out of the playoff conversation for a couple of years. This year has shown so much promise. With a new experienced head coach, the tigers find themselves seeing the SEC Championship in their future if nothing unprecedented happens. They are led by Jayden Daniels who has passed for 2080 yards and 14 touchdowns. Most impressively he has also led the team in rushing with 629 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their defense has been top 30 in the nation by only giving up 21.4 points against some of the most high powered offenses in the country. This team will only get better as their coach gets more experience with his players.

#7 USC Trojans (9-1)

The Trojans have shown the world what the transfer portal can do to a team. After many years of less than ideal seasons the Trojans hired a successful coach in Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, which brought many players and recruits to the program. Riley brought star quarterback Caleb Williams with him to USC via the transfer portal. Once this happened the team brought in many more players to compliment the two. Their star wide receiver is Jordan Addison, a transfer from Pittsburg, and their star running back is a transfer from Oregon in Travis Dye. Williams has lived up to the hype by passing for 3010 yards and 31 touchdowns. Travis Dye was putting up an impressive season before an injury this past week has put him on the sideline. He has 884 yards with 9 touchdowns on the ground. Jordan Addison has caught 7 touchdown passes to go along with 587 receiving yards. USC controls its destiny and if they can win out they have a very good chance to find themselves in the college football playoff for the first time ever.

#8 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2)
The Crimson Tide normally finds itself in the top 10 every year, but not just the top 10, rather the top three or five. During coach Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama, this year would be considered a down year due to the fact that most of his teams have finished undefeated or with one loss. Going into the season the squad had high hopes for the year with returning Heisman winner quarterback Bryce Young as well as a future top five draft pick in outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Young has passed for 2443 yards and 22 touchdowns while also scoring 3 on the ground. Jahmyr Gibbs, a former five star recruit and transfer from Georgia Tech, has led the team in rushing with 774 yards and 6 touchdowns. The defense has been strong and is shown through the nation’s 12th best points allowed per game with 18.9. The playoff seems to be out of the picture for this squad, but with Nick Saban and the several more recruits coming in, this team has a lot to look forward to for next year.

#9 Clemson Tigers (9-1)

Just like Alabama there is a good shot that the Tigers won’t be able to make it to the playoff which is something college football fans are not used to. However, the Tigers are still having a great season as shown with their record. Even with some questions at quarterback, their running game and defense has given them the ability to still be a one loss team. The problem is too many teams have a loss that is better than the Tigers so their chances are very slim of making the postseason. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has been the starter for the season, passing for 2179 yards and 19 touchdowns. Freshman Cade Klubnik has gotten some time to show his talents, most notably in the win against Syracuse when he brought the team back in the second half from a double-digit deficit. The defense is ranked 30th in the nation with 22 points per game. The Tigers need a lot of things to happen in order for them to make the playoffs, but if they can win the ACC Championship over the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Dabo Swinney will definitely be happy with the season.

#10 Utah Utes (8-2)
The Utes were a favorite to make the playoffs this year as a four seed, but some crucial losses have put them in a spot that won’t allow them to make it to the postseason. After a crazy Rose Bowl game against the Ohio State Buckeyes, this Utah squad became a fan favorite among college football fans. Quarterback Cam Rising took the country by storm in that game and has a respectable season this year with 2225 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. He has also scrambled for 335 yards and 6 touchdowns. Running back Tavion Thomas has led the ground game with 632 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tight end Dalton Kincaid has been Rising’s favorite target with 649 receiving yards along with 7 touchdowns. Utah this season has been the only team to beat the USC Trojans, which just shows the potential this team has. The season isn’t over and a top 10 finish for the Utes would be huge for their program’s future.