- LSU (9-0)
- Ohio State (9-0)
- Clemson (10-0)
- Georgia (8-1)
- Alabama (8-1)
- Oregon (8-1)
- Utah (8-1)
- Minnesota (9-0)
- Penn State (8-1)
- Oklahoma (8-1)
- Florida (8-2)
- Auburn (7-2)
- Baylor (9-0)
- Wisconsin (7-2)
- Michigan (7-2)
- Notre Dame (7-2)
- Cincinnati (8-1)
- Memphis (8-1)
- Texas (6-3)
- Iowa (6-3)
- Boise State (8-1)
- Oklahoma State (6-3)
- Navy (7-1)
- Kansas State (6-3)
- Appalachian State (8-1)
Per usual, the main area of focus in reaction to the rankings came in the four to six range, where we have Georgia ahead of Alabama, who is followed by Oregon. All three of those teams have one loss. You're probably aware I hate the term "good losses" but when a bunch of teams have the same number of losses, it's obviously going to matter who they were defeated by. Alabama has the best loss, which came at home to LSU, the (so far) clear-cut top team in the country. Oregon's sole loss came to No. 12 Auburn in week one at a neutral site, and it came down to the absolute wire. For now, that loss holds value. However, the value of that loss will certainly fluctuate, while also affecting the resume of both Georgia and Alabama, as the Bulldogs play Auburn this Saturday and the Tide face off with them at the end of the month. But back to losses, Georgia easily has the worst of the three, as they fell at home to South Carolina, a team that has a measly 4-6 record.
But what matters more than the quality of losses? Beating good teams. Alabama's loss is to the No. 1 team in the nation, but they honestly haven't beaten anyone good yet. Yes, they came close at the end there against LSU, but it seemed pretty evident to me who the better team was. The small point differential and Tua's health could play devil's advocate to that, but again it's obvious that LSU is superior to Saban's Tide this year. Alabama hasn't knocked out a single noteworthy opponent, with their most impressive win being over Texas A&M. Georgia, on the other hand, has beaten Notre Dame and Florida. Oregon has no wins over currently ranked teams, but apparently they've impressed the committee with their level of play in the lowly Pac 12. So again, the Ducks' reputation is really clinging onto that nail biter of a loss to Auburn. And as I had mentioned, Auburn's efforts through the remainder of the regular season can really influence these three teams. If Georgia and 'Bama both beat Auburn, that really diminishes any value of Oregon keeping it close with the Tigers. If either (or both) of them lose to Auburn, that obviously makes Oregon look better.
Although most of the chaotic debates revolved around the four-through-six spots, seven through ten definitely gets dicey as well. Checking in at No. 7 is Utah who has lost to USC (6-4), and has eight wins, none of which came against teams that are currently ranked. In fact, the remainder of their regular season schedule doesn't feature a single ranked team. They likely could face off against Oregon in the Pac 12 Championship, which would obviously be a solid win. But Utah's playoff chances in that scenario would still be dependent on the SEC and the Big 12 and how everything works itself out in those conferences.
Undefeated Minnesota made the biggest leap ever in the CFP rankings, going from No. 17 to No. 8. Some may believe that the Gophers are still underrated, and that could be argued seeing as they just beat Penn State. And according to this same committee making the rankings, Penn State was worthy of a playoff spot just a week ago. Clearly the only thing holding the Gophers back is their lack of quality wins other than last weekend's. They didn't beat any of their non-conference opponents by more than a possession, and the most noteworthy conference victory aside from Penn State came against Illinois. Interpret that as you may. Even if Minnesota is underrated, the next few weeks will absolutely be make or break for them; there's no reason to complain about ranking right now. They have to get through No. 20 Iowa and No. 14 Wisconsin (also a road trip to Northwestern), and if they do, they'll play Ohio State for the conference title. Obviously if they complete all of that, their playoff berth will be undisputed. If they don't, they won't be in the final four. Simple. Doesn't matter if they're No. 4 or No. 10 right now. They have to win out anyway in order to get a playoff spot.
And right after Minnesota, we have the team they just beat. Penn State still has a shot to beat a 7-2 Indiana team, followed by Ohio State. So they have the opportunity to completely demean their sole loss, but they'd have to win out and take home the BIG 10 Championship. Definitely not an easy task, but despite dropping their last game, things are still in their control.
Oklahoma is definitely not getting much love, as they're the lowest ranked Power Five team with only one loss. Their one loss came to Kansas State, who is a currently ranked team. They've also taken down Texas, who checks in at No. 19. The Sooners would probably need some help from other conferences, but if they do win out, the resume won't be too shabby: they take on undefeated Baylor this weekend, then TCU, and then No. 22 Oklahoma State. Not to mention the Big 12 Championship will likely feature Oklahoma and Baylor. It'd be pretty convincing if Baylor finished with only two losses, both to Oklahoma.
Speaking of Baylor, what is their deal? Well, clearly they haven't lost. But Baylor's list of accomplishments this season clearly isn't enough to be taken seriously by the committee. Look, in terms of the eye test, they're not out there tearing up the field like LSU or Ohio State. But they've knocked out two ranked conference opponents, topping Kansas State 31-12 and Oklahoma State 45-27. But like a few other team's I've discussed, Baylor is in control of their playoff chances. They have Oklahoma and Texas left on the schedule, followed by Kansas, and then potentially the Big 12 Championship. Like the others, if they win out and are crowned conference champs, the committee has no choice but to put them in there.
Let's be honest. Is Alabama truly one of the best four teams in the country? Yeah, most likely. But did they overcome their only challenge of the year so far? No, they did not. A talented roster can't completely outweigh the resume, because then what even is the point of playing the regular season and keeping score? There's still a good chance 'Bama takes up that fourth playoff spot, but for parity's sake let's hope that doesn't happen.
I know I really only covered less than half of the rankings, but it's clear that the 15-25 range is mostly composed of complete guesses. Seriously, do Notre Dame and Texas look like the No. 16 and No. 19 teams in the country? But then you think, who would I put there instead? I don't know, but for two teams who I want to see be relevant, these squads are both absolute snooze-fests to watch this season. They're not putrid or anything, but there's an absolute minimal excitement factor when it comes to these two programs in 2019. While we're at it, Michigan and Iowa both fit that description. Just mediocre teams whose only purpose is to boost the resumes of those who have beaten them. Anyway, enough ranting. We've got a solid slate this weekend, which features four matchups between ranked teams.
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