BYU Cougars ranked No. 13 in latest College Football Playoff rankings

After sitting idle for a week, BYU rose in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

The Cougars were slotted at No. 13, ahead of Northwestern and behind Indiana.

BYU, which was ranked No. 14 in the first CFP rankings last week, does not currently have an opponent scheduled for this weekend. The Cougars are slated to be in action next on Dec. 12, when they host San Diego State at 8 p.m. MST.

“Not just us, but around the entire country, it was unanimous. People thought BYU was a top 10 team, but the committee holds strong...again, very, very surprised by that ranking,” ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said.

College Football Playoff committee chairman Gary Barta again said on the ESPN rankings show that BYU’s strength of schedule was the determining factor in not ranking the Cougars higher.

The Pac-12 has three teams ranked in the Top 25 — No. 20 USC, No. 22 Washington and No. 23 Oregon. USC, which was idle over the weekend after its game with Colorado was canceled, fell two spots. Washington entered the rankings after beating Utah and Oregon fell eight spots after losing to Oregon State. Games played are clearly a factor in the rankings — 9-0 Coastal Carolina, which plays in the Sun Belt, is ranked ahead of undefeated USC and Washington.

College Football Playoff Rankings (Dec. 1)

1. Alabama (8-0)

2. Notre Dame (9-0)

3. Clemson (8-1)

4. Ohio State (4-0)

5. Texas A&M (6-1)

6. Florida (7-1)

7. Cincinatti (8-0)

8. Georgia (6-2)

9. Iowa State (7-2)

10. Miami (FL) (7-1)

11. Oklahoma (6-2)

12. Indiana (5-1)

13. BYU (9-0)

14. Northwestern (5-1)

15. Oklahoma State (6-2)

16. Wisconsin (2-1)

17. North Carolina (6-3)

18. Coastal Carolina (9-0)

19. Iowa (4-2)

20. USC (3-0)

21. Marshall (7-0)

22. Washington (3-0)

23. Oregon (3-1)

24. Tulsa (5-1)

25. Louisiana (8-1)