College Football Playoff tiers: Miami and Georgia lead the way, but who else is elite?

Sorting the nation’s playoff hopefuls into tiers based on résumés, ceilings and remaining paths as we enter the season’s second half

As the only CBS Sports voter to have Miami at No. 1 before the season, I'll admit, the Hurricanes climbed to the top spot in the AP poll a few weeks before I expected them to after midseason carnage across the top 25. Miami is one of only six unbeatens left on the board, and it doesn't appear that anyone's safe moving forward during a year of extreme parity in the sport. We're sifting through the AP Top 25 to separate elites from the teams still selling themselves on potential in Week 8. There's a handful of true contenders who have already shown a championship ceiling against quality competition, while others need a large sample size before belonging in that conversation.

Reputation gets you attention, but play on the field and execution are what truly qualify in front of the CFP selection committee. Here's where the nation's playoff hopefuls fall in our contender tiers, with championship credentials driving the discussion. The Bulldogs' stock price shouldn't change after their home loss to Auburn. Three turnovers from Gunner Stockton were to blame, and the likelihood that happens again this season is slim. Kirby Smart mentioned after the game that he felt Georgia beat itself, and it's hard to disagree with that. The Bulldogs remain our SEC favorite at midseason and should get