Coach Griff’s CFP Top 15: Georgia Leads, Indiana No. 6 in the Golden 12
Georgia takes the top spot. Indiana sits at No. 6. And Wake Forest holds the final place in Coach Griff’s Golden 12. The latest HFT Top 15 projection puts a clear line between the projected playoff field and the three teams looking in from the outside.
This is Coach Griff’s independent College Football Playoff projection, not the official CFP rankings. The Golden 12 refers to teams ranked No. 1 through No. 12 on this HFT board. It is an editorial projection of the field, not an official selection or bracket.
Georgia leads a reshuffled top four
Georgia moves up one spot to No. 1 at 8–1. Behind the Bulldogs, undefeated Utah and UCLA each rise one position, landing second and third at 9–0. Notre Dame makes the biggest upward move among the top four, climbing three places to No. 4 with an 8–1 record.
That gives the front of this board a different look. Miami falls four spots to No. 5 despite its 8–1 record, leaving the Hurricanes just ahead of Indiana. The top six remain tightly grouped in the projection: four teams at 8–1 and two unbeaten teams at 9–0.
Crimson spotlight: Indiana is No. 6
Indiana checks in at No. 6 with an 8–1 record, down one spot. For Hoosier fans, that is the central takeaway: Indiana remains in the upper half of Coach Griff’s projected playoff field.
The one-position drop changes Indiana’s place in the order, but its position on this board still puts the Hoosiers ahead of Tennessee, Alabama and Texas. Miami sits immediately above Indiana at No. 5. This is a projection to debate, and Indiana’s place in that top-six group belongs at the center of the HFT conversation.
New arrivals and movement around the cut line
Tennessee enters the Top 15 at No. 7 with a 7–2 record. Alabama holds steady at No. 8, also 7–2, while Texas moves up one spot to No. 9. USC is another new entry, taking No. 10 at 7–2.
Texas Tech and Wake Forest each climb three positions with matching 8–1 records. The Red Raiders land at No. 11; Wake Forest takes No. 12 and the final Golden 12 place. On this projection, the line falls between Wake Forest and Kentucky.
Coach Griff’s full CFP Top 15
| Rank | Team | Record | Movement | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 8–1 | ↑1 | Golden 12 |
| 2 | Utah | 9–0 | ↑1 | Golden 12 |
| 3 | UCLA | 9–0 | ↑1 | Golden 12 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 8–1 | ↑3 | Golden 12 |
| 5 | Miami | 8–1 | ↓4 | Golden 12 |
| 6 | Indiana | 8–1 | ↓1 | Golden 12 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 7–2 | NEW | Golden 12 |
| 8 | Alabama | 7–2 | Unchanged | Golden 12 |
| 9 | Texas | 7–2 | ↑1 | Golden 12 |
| 10 | USC | 7–2 | NEW | Golden 12 |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 8–1 | ↑3 | Golden 12 |
| 12 | Wake Forest | 8–1 | ↑3 | Golden 12 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 7–2 | ↓4 | First Three Out |
| 14 | Oregon | 6–3 | NEW | First Three Out |
| 15 | Ohio State | 6–3 | ↓4 | First Three Out |
First Three Out: Kentucky, Oregon and Ohio State
Kentucky is the first team outside the projected field at No. 13. The Wildcats are 7–2 and fall four spots. Oregon enters the Top 15 at No. 14 with a 6–3 record, while Ohio State drops four positions to No. 15 at 6–3.
Those three complete the Top 15, but they sit outside the Golden 12 in this edition. Wake Forest owns the final projected place; Kentucky is the closest challenger on the board.
HFT’s question for Hoosier Nation: Is No. 6 the right spot for Indiana—and which team would you move across the Golden 12 cut line? Join the conversation at HoosierTailgate.com.
