It’s funny. We spend every fall in college football complaining about how dumb the AP poll is. How there’s no logic to the voting, and how we shouldn’t leave the rankings up to 62 members of the media. How we can’t wait for the College Football Playoff selection committee to step in.
And then the CFP rankings come, and it’s just the same, if not worse.
The committee certainly made some odd decisions this week, and there are some conflicting precedents to untangle as we head into the final two weeks of the season. I’ll do my best to tackle them all, but let’s be honest. I don’t think anyone fully understands what the committee is doing.
Nonetheless, let’s get into the rankings.
1. Oregon 
11-0
Best Wins: 32-31 v. #2 Ohio State, 37-34 v. #12 Boise State, 38-9 v. #24 Illinois
Losses: None
Respectfully, I agree. No issue with Oregon sticking at one. It has the talent and coaching to match its record, and the Ducks have a win on their resume nobody can match.
2. Ohio State 
9-1
Best Wins: 20-13 @ #4 Penn State, 35-7 v. Iowa
Losses: 31-32 @ #1 Oregon
Respectfully, I agree. The Buckeyes are as talented as anyone, and their only blemish is a one-point loss to number one on the road. The injury to Seth McLaughlin turns a concerning OL situation into a crisis, so they could be vulnerable up front against anyone. Indiana’s defensive front certainly becomes a bigger challenge. However, they’re fine at #2 for now.
3. Texas 
9-1
Best Wins: 31-12 @ Michigan, 27-24 @ Vanderbilt, 20-10 @ Arkansas
Losses: 15-30 v. #10 Georgia
Disrespectfully, I disagree. I had a hard time deciding what Texas’ best win really was. I settled on Michigan, simply due to the hostile atmosphere, but there isn’t much there. Texas hasn’t really looked the part for the majority of the season, and that loss to Georgia exposed some pretty serious flaws. This team is madly talented, sure, but it hasn’t come close to proving it deserves to be placed ahead of an undefeated power conference team.
4. Penn State 
9-1
Best Wins: 21-7 v. #24 Illinois, 34-12 @ West Virginia, 28-13 @ Wisconsin
Losses: 13-20 v. #2 Ohio State
Disrespectfully, I disagree. Same problem I have with the Texas ranking. The resume really doesn’t stand up when you look at it. However, the issue with Penn State extends a bit farther. The Nittany Lions aren’t nearly as talented as Texas, in my opinion. I really don’t trust Drew Allar in big spots either. If the Longhorns don’t deserve to be ranked ahead of Indiana, Penn State certainly doesn’t.
5. Indiana 
10-0
Best Wins: 56-7 v. Nebraska, 47-10 @ Michigan State, 20-15 v. Michigan
Losses: None
Disrespectfully, I disagree. I get it. Indiana’s schedule isn’t that difficult. But you see what that “notable losses” section says? None. The Hoosiers have a giant goose egg in that loss column, and that should matter at this point in the season. If they lose to Ohio State, fine. Drop them. But as long as it is undefeated, Indiana deserves no less than being ranked like it. If this section had that iconic maize ‘M’ instead of the red interlocking ‘IU,’ this same team/resume would be ranked third, and nobody would argue against it.
6. Notre Dame 
9-1
Best Wins: 23-13 @ #15 Texas A&M, 31-24 v. Louisville, 51-14 v. Navy (N)
Losses: 14-16 v. Northern Illinois
Disrespectfully, I disagree. Big time. I mean, what are we doing? There are eight teams that should be ranked ahead of the Irish, maybe nine. Notre Dame has the worst loss of any team in the top 15, and those best wins don’t hold a ton of water. Texas A&M is a completely different team now, and Navy was overrated when they played. I look at it this way. Miami’s loss is to Georgia Tech, a team Notre Dame handled. Fine. But SMU also has one loss, and that’s to BYU. SMU’s wins and Notre Dame’s wins look very similar side by side, but the Mustangs’ loss is substantially better on any resume. Get the Irish out of here, man.
7. Alabama 
8-2
Best Wins: 41-34 v. #10 Georgia, 42-13 @ LSU, 27-25 v. #18 South Carolina
Losses: 35-40 @ Vanderbilt, 17-24 @ #11 Tennessee
Respectfully, I agree. Sort of. If we’re going to have Notre Dame at six (yuck), Alabama should be the first team ranked out of that SEC logjam… I think? Let’s math it out. Alabama has the win over Georgia, so it should be ahead of the Dawgs. The Tide also destroyed LSU, who beat Ole Miss, so it makes sense to leave the Rebs behind them. But then again… Tennessee beat Alabama? The fashion of Tennessee’s loss to Georgia, combined with that dismal Arkansas loss, probably dooms the Vols. So… I guess I’m fine with Alabama where it is…? Except… Ole Miss also beat Georgia, and by a bigger margin? I think it’s ridiculous that the Tide jumped idle Miami after beating Mercer. So I certainly and disrespectfully disagree with that.
8. Miami (FL) 
9-1
Best Wins: 41-17 @ Florida, 52-45 @ Louisville, 53-31 v. Duke
Losses: 23-28 @ Georgia Tech
Disrespectfully, I disagree with a few things here. First off, it doesn’t make sense for Alabama and only Alabama to jump Miami when Alabama beat an FCS team and the Canes were on bye. If you’re making the case that Miami should be behind Alabama, it should probably also be behind all the rest of the SEC cluster. Beyond that, however, Miami’s resume isn’t all that impressive in general. It’s struggled in many of its ACC games against mediocre opposition. Nonetheless, Miami still has the one loss, so I guess I can’t be too mad. Just wait until later.
9. Ole Miss 
8-2
Best Wins: 28-10 v. #10 Georgia, 27-3 @ #18 South Carolina, 63-31 @ Arkansas
Losses: 17-20 v. Kentucky, 26-29 @ LSU
Respectfully, I agree with the Rebels’ placement compared to the teams around them. The Kentucky loss at home is really bad, but handling Georgia is really good. For that reason, you can’t have Georgia ahead of Ole Miss, and I think the Rebels’ losses look worse than Alabama’s, especially given the way Alabama dominated the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss is fine here.
10. Georgia 
8-2
Best Wins: 30-15 @ #3 Texas, 31-17 v. #11 Tennessee, 34-3 v. #17 Clemson (N)
Losses: 34-41 @ #7 Alabama, 10-28 @ #9 Ole Miss
Respectfully, I agree. Georgia’s ceiling in the rankings at this point is set by Ole Miss and Alabama unless either of those teams loses again. That’s a perfectly reasonable application of head-to-head results. However, I disagree, with extreme disrespect, with the blatant disregard for head-to-head victories later in the rankings. The committee just bends over backwards to fit whatever preconceived notion they have going into the week. But that’s not Georgia’s fault.
11. Tennessee 
8-2
Best Wins: 24-17 v. #7 Alabama, 51-10 v. NC State (N), 23-17 v. Florida
Losses: 14-19 @ Arkansas, 17-31 @ #10 Georgia
Respectfully, I agree that Tennessee can’t be ranked any higher than this if Georgia is at 10. They just played, and the Dawgs dominated. However, Tennessee to me feels closer to the Texas A&M tier of the SEC than Georgia, Ole Miss, and Alabama. The Vols’ offense is just too inconsistent, and I don’t think Nico Iamaleava is a championship caliber QB at this point.
12. Boise State 
9-1
Best Wins: 29-24 @ #24 UNLV, 45-24 v. Washington State, 42-21 @ San Jose State
Losses: 34-37 @ #1 Oregon
I disrespectfully disagree with the notion that Boise State can’t be ranked ahead of two-loss SEC teams. At this point, the Broncos have a one in the loss column, and the quality of that loss can only be matched by Ohio State. They have a legitimate Heisman contender in the backfield and for the most part have handled the Mountain West the way a playoff team should handle the Mountain West. Put some respect on the Broncos.
13. SMU 
9-1
Best Wins: 48-25 v. Pitt, 34-27 @ Louisville, 66-42 v. TCU
Losses: 15-18 v. # 14 BYU
I disrespectfully disagree. First of all, BYU beat SMU head-to-head, at SMU. That has to mean something. Additionally, as I hinted at earlier, I don’t see much of a difference between Notre Dame’s resume and SMU’s, and Notre Dame’s loss is brutal compared to the Mustangs’ three-point loss to the Cougars. The application of head-to-head and simple resume comparisons used to stack the SEC was just blatantly ignored here. I’ll leave it at that, but let me make it very clear. This is one of the most braindead moves I’ve seen from the committee in a while.
14. BYU 
9-1
Best Wins: 18-15 @ #13 SMU, 38-9 v. Kansas State, 37-24 @ UCF
Losses: 13-17 v. Kansas
I disrespectfully disagree. Please, for the love of God, just put BYU in front of SMU. That’s all I ask. We have a clear head-to-head result here and not much else to split the two.
15. Texas A&M 
8-2
Best Wins: 38-23 v. LSU, 41-10 v. #23 Missouri, 21-17 v. Arkansas (N)
Losses: 13-23 v. #6 Notre Dame, 20-44 @ #18 South Carolina
I respectfully agree that Texas A&M should be planted firmly behind the other two-loss SEC teams. We collectively fell head-over-heels for this Aggie team when they beat LSU, but we now know the Tigers were fraudulent at best. The A&M offense is incredibly inconsistent – it’s QB roulette with those guys every week. The Aggies got run out of their own building by Notre Dame on opening night, and got flattened in Columbia. A&M fans don’t have to worry about their current ranking, however. A win over Texas on Thanksgiving weekend would likely land them in Atlanta for the SEC Championship, and in turn, the playoff.
16. Colorado 
8-2
Best Wins: 41-27 @ Texas Tech, 49-24 v. Utah, 48-21 @ UCF
Losses: 10-28 @ Nebraska, 28-31 v. Kansas State
I respectfully agree. Colorado’s stars certainly present an attractive package to the committee, and the Buffaloes are actually backing that with some results. The loss to Nebraska probably prevents them from leaping over other two-loss teams at this point, but they are still in perfect position to get into the playoff.
17. Clemson Tigers 
8-2
Best Wins: 24-14 @ Virginia Tech, 49-14 @ Wake Forest, 24-20 @ Pitt
Losses: 3-34 v. #10 Georgia (N), 21-33 v. Louisville
I respectfully agree that this is just the default landing spot for the Tigers. Their wins don’t really hold much water, their losses are ugly, and their playoff hopes are dangling by the thread of a chance they still have to win the ACC. Yet, with only two losses and a respectable amount of talent on both sides of the ball, you can’t quite rank them lower than this… yet. Once South Carolina gets its hands on them, they won’t last here for long.
18. South Carolina 
7-3
Best Wins: 44-20 v. #15 Texas A&M, 28-7 @ Vanderbilt, 35-9 @ Oklahoma
Losses: 33-36 v. LSU, 25-27 @ #7 Alabama, 3-27 v. #9 Ole Miss
I respectfully agree that South Carolina is probably the best three-loss team in the country and is ranked as such. The LSU and Alabama losses are just brutal. If health and luck had gone their way, the Gamecocks would be squarely in the top 10 with a likely trip to the playoff coming. At least they’ll get Clemson out of the way for us.
19. Army 
9-0
Best Wins: 45-28 v. East Carolina, 20-3 v. Air Force, 14-3 @ North Texas
Losses: None
I disrespectfully disagree that Army should be penalized for going undefeated against a weak schedule. Yes, there aren’t many difficult games in there, but Army has handled that schedule the way a good team should. I just wish the committee would respect that zero in the loss column a bit more than they do. If Army gets killed by Notre Dame this weekend, guess what? You can still drop them far, and not many people would have a problem with it.
20. Tulane 
9-2
Best Wins: 35-0 @ Navy, 41-33 @ Lousiana, 71-20 @ UAB
Losses: 27-34 v. Kansas State, 19-34 @ Oklahoma
I disrespectfully disagree that this team should be ranked. I think the Boise v. Tulane conversation is flat-out outrageous. The AAC in general is pretty weak this year, and Tulane’s losses are to a struggling Kansas State and an Oklahoma we know now isn’t very good. I get that the Green Wave have been playing better as of late, and that they seem to have found something special in freshman QB Darien Mensah. I might be on an island, but I don’t see it with this team and resume. Maybe we can sneak them in at 24 or 25, but there are teams behind them that, well, shouldn’t be.
21. Arizona State 
8-2
Best Wins: 24-14 @ Kansas State, 35-31 v. Kansas, 31-28 @ Texas State
Losses: 22-30 @ Texas Tech, 14-24 @ Cincinnati
I disrespectfully disagree that ASU should be behind Tulane. Other than that, I’m thrilled that the committee considered Arizona State. The Devils control their own destiny to get to the playoff. In November, that’s a pretty awesome place to be.
22. Iowa State 
8-2
Best Wins: 20-19 @ Iowa, 28-16 @ West Virginia, 43-21 v. Baylor
Losses: 22-23 v. Texas Tech, 36-45 @ Kansas
I respectfully agree. The Cyclones probably get back into the rankings just by virtue of being a two-loss power conference team in late November. Good for them. The resume isn’t all that exciting overall, but an 8-2 record as a P4 will land you in the rankings more times than it won’t.
23. Missouri 
7-3
Best Wins: 30-27 v. Vanderbilt, 27-21 v. Boston College, 30-23 v. Oklahoma
Losses: 10-41 @ #15 Texas A&M, 0-34 @ #7 Alabama, 30-34 @ #18 South Carolina
I disrespectfully disagree. Strongly. This team stinks. Get them out of here. They’re simply here to prop up other SEC teams on the committee’s behalf. None of the Tigers’ wins are impressive. Their losses are miserable. There’s no way this team belongs here.
24. UNLV 
9-2
Best Wins: 23-20 @ Kansas, 27-7 @ Houston, 59-14 v. Fresno State
Losses: 41-44 v. Syracuse, 24-29 v. #12 Boise State
I respectfully agree. This is just a fun team, man. I don’t know why so many of you wrote the Rebels off when Matthew Sluka quit the team and entered the portal, because Hajj-Malik Williams is an objectively better quarterback. Some would even say Sluka was headed for the bench anyway. If I have any qualms at all, it’s that UNLV is too low here.
25. Illinois 
7-3
Best Wins: 38-16 v. Michigan State, 23-17 v. Kansas, 21-7 v. Michigan
Losses: 7-21 @ #4 Penn State, 9-38 @ #1 Oregon, 17-25 v. Minnesota
I disrespectfully disagree. The Illinois resume is just weak. I’d much rather throw in another two-loss G5 team than this junk. But hey, if we’re going to prop up the SEC with Missouri, we have to do the same thing for the Big Ten with Illinois, right? Complete garbage.
If I had it completely my way, with a common-sense balance between eye test and results, here’s what the rankings should look like:
- Oregon
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Texas
- Penn State
- Boise State
- Miami
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- BYU
- SMU
- Notre Dame
- Texas A&M
- Army
- Colorado
- South Carolina
- Clemson
- Arizona State
- Iowa State
- UNLV
- Washington State
- Tulane
- Syracuse
In these rankings, Oregon, Texas, Boise State, and Miami would receive first round byes in the playoff. BYU would be the fifth AQ. Ohio State, Indiana, Penn State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Tennessee would receive at-large bids.
Oops. Did I just put five SEC teams in this hypothetical playoff? Whoops. Try again next week.
You can follow Nick Hedges on X @nicktrimshedges or Instagram @nicktrimshedges