The College Football Playoff Rankings, which are released every Tuesday towards the back end of the season, have gotten fans caught in a national debate week after week due to the amount of controversy in the poll.
Tuesday was nothing new as the CFP Rankings came out once again and they found their way around.
The latest CFP rankings were perhaps the most contradictory, hypocritical top 25 list to be released in its young, two year history.
Flaws at the top (1-10)
We’ll start out with the top teams and work our way down the ladder beginning with #2 Alabama (9-1.) The Crimson Tide own a six-point loss to #22 Ole Miss (7-3.) Move two spots down and we find Notre Dame (9-1) is ranked fourth with the same record. However, their only loss is against the undefeated, #1 Clemson Tigers.
Before saying Notre Dame does not have enough quality wins, realize that both teams have the same amount of wins against teams currently ranked in the CFP Top 25.
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Between Alabama and Notre Dame sits #3 Ohio State (10-0), a team who has not faced one CFP ranked team, let alone beating any. However, Iowa sits in fifth, and Oklahoma State sixth, and both schools have beaten a CFP ranked team. (Iowa has beaten two).
Ohio State is the defending national champion. Yes. But to show bias because of that in a sport where players are only on the field for four years, is a horrifying narrative to follow. That kind of bias throws off the rankings in a very big way.
If Michigan or Michigan State end up beating Ohio State, it’s as if they beaten the team with the third best resume in college football, which is a far stretch.
Problems in the middle (#11-19)
We’ll keep moving down the list so that this does not turn into a one team rant, instead pointing out flaws all around the board.
#12 Michigan is ranked in front of #13 Utah… Utah beat Michigan during week 1, 24-17.
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Now we get to the one-loss teams that are ranked behind five two-loss teams. #16-18 Navy, North Carolina, and TCU.
North Carolina might be a team they have right. The loss to 3-7 South Carolina is still stinging for the Tar Heels.
Navy and TCU, however, have done nothing to be ranked behind the two-loss teams.
TCU’s only loss is to #6 Oklahoma State. Navy’s came against #4 Notre Dame. Both were on the road. Each and every two-loss team ranked in front of Navy and TCU has a worse loss, plus one more to add to it.
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Below the one-loss teams ranked 16th-18th, Houston (10-0) sits at #19 despite their undefeated season. Houston’s strength of schedule is low. So is Ohio State’s, but the Buckeyes are ranked third.
The Committee has been known to look at the eye test, common opponent, and other things to rank the teams, and Houston took notice.
The Cougars beat Vanderbilt 34-0, a team Florida only beat by two points. Yet, Florida is ranked 8th.
Even more issues at the bottom (20-25)
The final issue with this set of rankings lies with two Big 10 schools; #20 Northwestern, and #25 Wisconsin (both 8-2.)
The Wildcats losses came against #12 Michigan and #5 Iowa by a combined 68 points.
Wisconsin lost to #5 Iowa and #2 Alabama by a combined 22 points, yet Northwestern still sits five slots higher.
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Here is to hoping that this article won’t have to be written next week and all these problems are resolved by the end of the season. Yeah right.
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