We knew entering the week we'd lose either Georgia or Tennessee from the list of six remaining unbeaten teams. The question following the Saturday game between the Bulldogs and Vols was how it would affect the loser.
Turns out, Georgia's 27-13 win was enough to keep Tennessee off of all but one ESPN ballot. The Georgia defense held Tennessee without a first-half touchdown for the first time since 2020. The Dawgs outscored a team that entered the game with a plus-173 points margin in the first half this season, the best in FBS, 24-6 before halftime. Georgia entered the game with 10 sacks this season, the fewest in the SEC. The Bulldogs sacked Hendon Hooker six times and had the Heisman favorite harried all night.
Elsewhere, Ohio State survived a scare at Northwestern, where winds exceeding 45 mph muddled any offensive efforts. The Buckeyes couldn't convert on any of their eight third-down opportunities in the first half and quarterback C.J. Stroud had just 76 passing yards for the game. His career-best 79 rushing yards proved pivotal in a 21-7 victory, though.
Michigan and TCU also remained unbeaten, separating themselves in the second half against Rutgers and Texas Tech, respectively. The Horned Frogs are now a unanimous selection among ESPN's voters for the first time this season.
With all that in mind, here's a look at how ESPN's college football reporters see the current playoff picture.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Blake Baumgartner: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Georgia 2. Michigan 3. Ohio State 4. TCU
Bill Connelly: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Heather Dinich: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
David Hale: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Tennessee 4 TCU
Chris Low: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Michigan, 4. TCU
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Oregon
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Michigan
Alex Scarborough: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Mark Schlabach: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Oregon
Tom VanHaaren: 1 Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Dave Wilson: 1 Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU