UNC falls back, NC State falls out in latest College Football Playoff poll
North Carolina fell in the College Football Playoff poll — from No. 13 down to No. 17 — after its 21-17 loss to Georgia Tech last week. N.C. State dropped out completely after a 25-10 loss to Louisville. The Wolfpack had been ranked No. 24 last week.
Four ACC teams remain in the poll, which was revealed Tuesday. The Cardinals essentially replaced N.C. State, making their debut at No. 25 after beating the Wolfpack. Florida State surpassed North Carolina, rising three spots up to No. 16.
Clemson is still hanging in the top 10, moving from ninth to eighth after beating Miami, 40-14. The Tigers are clinging to faint hopes of making the top four. They close with South Carolina, which is fresh off its 63-38 beatdown of then-No. 5 Tennessee. Later, Clemson and UNC will square off in the ACC championship game on Dec. 3.
The Tar Heels were a long shot to make the College Football Playoff’s top four before losing to the Yellow Jackets. The loss erased all hope of being in the conversation. However, now North Carolina could also sabotage the Clemson’s chances of making the top four as well. The title game won’t be a matchup of highly-ranked teams.
North Carolina’s No. 13 ranking was its highest in the CFP poll since 2020. UNC’s best ranking came in 2015, when the Heels reached No. 10.
If North Carolina defeats Clemson in the ACC championship game, it would claim an Orange Bowl berth. But if the Heels lose, they could be in competition with Florida State for their preferred selection in the ACC’s top tier of bowls.
College Football Playoff Poll
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 11-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 11-0 |
| 4 | TCU | 11-0 |
| 5 | LSU | 9-2 |
| 6 | USC | 10-1 |
| 7 | Alabama | 9-2 |
| 8 | Clemson | 10-1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 9-2 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 9-2 |
| 11 | Penn State | 9-2 |
| 12 | Kansas State | 8-3 |
| 13 | Washington | 9-2 |
| 14 | Utah | 8-3 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 8-3 |
| 16 | Florida State | 8-3 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 9-2 |
| 18 | UCLA | 8-3 |
| 19 | Tulane | 9-2 |
| 20 | Mississippi | 8-3 |
| 21 | Oregon State | 8-3 |
| 22 | UCF | 8-3 |
| 23 | Texas | 7-4 |
| 24 | Cincinnati | 9-2 |
| 25 | Louisville | 7-4 |
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 8:12 PM with the headline "UNC falls back, NC State falls out in latest College Football Playoff poll."