Predictably, the College Football Committee’s initial rankings drew a social media firestorm.
They were ripped apart for a variety of reasons. Odds are, the reaction will be the same on Tuesday in the next round of the made-for-television product, and every week until the rankings that actually count are presented on Dec. 5.
Some felt Alabama was too high at No. 2. Cincinnati was too low at No. 6. Undefeated Oklahoma wasn’t given enough respect at No. 8. The Big Ten West, with three teams in the top 25, received too much credit. The Big 12 didn’t get enough love.
There are cases to be made for all the above, either in favor or in opposition to the committee’s decisions. And, really, that’s the problem. After consensus No. 1 Georgia, no one has proven it belongs in the top four.
It’s the overriding story of this season entering the tail end of the regular season.
Mediocrity.
Uneven performances from week-to-week. Not one team, other than the Bulldogs, has played consistently. Every weekend it seems a big favorite struggles to prevail or gets picked off. This Saturday was the latest such example.
Michigan State, ranked third by the committee, was overwhelmed by unranked Purdue. Alabama nearly lost at home to LSU and its coach-on-the-way-out Ed Orgeron. Cincinnati needed a goal-line stand to survive 3-6 Tulsa, and that was after narrow wins over AAC doormats Navy and Tulane. One-loss Ohio State was fortunate to win at Nebraska on the heels of nearly losing at home to Penn State. Oregon hardly impressed in a 10-point win over disappointing Washington.
There are no right decisions right now for the committee, just a group of pretenders that have yet to earn the benefit of the doubt. You can find faults in all of them.
There is the possibility that in the weeks to come, teams separate themselves, as Ohio State, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Alabama face tests that will reveal a lot. Odds are, though, that won’t be the case. The season is two months old. Teams will not radically change.
The stronger possibility is that a two-loss school — potentially Alabama if it pushes Georgia in the SEC Championship game — is included in the playoff for the first time. It would be apropos of this watered-down year.
’Cane & able
On Oct. 16, Miami seemed headed to its second losing season in three years. It was 2-4 and starting quarterback and Name, Image and Likeness poster boy D’Eriq King was out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Less than a month later, the Hurricanes have picked themselves off the mat, reeling off four straight wins and are in the mix to win the ACC Coastal.
Freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has keyed the resurgence, throwing 10 touchdowns and just one interception in this run. Meanwhile, Florida State is 3-6 and en route to a fourth consecutive losing season. Florida has flatlined since its near upset of Alabama in September, losing four of six games and leading to questions about coach Dan Mullen’s future.
Remarkably, Miami is in the best shape of the Florida Big 3, a nod to the Hurricanes’ 180-degree turn and the futility of the other two schools.
Imperfect Ten
There is a very real scenario in which the Big Ten misses the playoff despite the favorable initial rankings by the committee. Wisconsin is in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten West, and at least of late, the Badgers appear to be very dangerous. They’ve won four in a row, including dominant victories over Iowa, Purdue and Rutgers by an average of 28.6 points.
Due to its three losses, Wisconsin isn’t going to make the playoff. But if it beats whichever team emerges from the Big Ten East — Ohio State, Michigan State or Michigan — in the league’s championship game, the conference would get shut out for just the third time in the playoff’s history.
Top 10
1. Georgia (9-0) (Last week: 1)
While everyone else sweats out these Saturdays, Georgia just continues to cruise. Other than the narrow Week 1 win over Clemson, the Bulldogs’ average margin of victory is 35 points.
2. Alabama (8-1) (2)
It’s getting harder to believe in the Crimson Tide as a threat to Georgia. They continue to play inconsistent football, struggling at home with 4-5 LSU.
3. Ohio State (8-1) (3)
The Buckeyes are playing with fire, following up an unimpressive win over Penn State with a mediocre performance against Nebraska. If they don’t play better from here on out, against Purdue, Michigan State and Michigan, a fifth straight Big Ten East crown is unlikely.
4. Cincinnati (9-0) (4)
Rather than make the College Football Playoff committee question itself for ranking Cincinnati sixth, the Bearcats may have given the group reason to drop them even further with another subpar showing against a weak opponent.
5. Oklahoma (9-0) (5)
Caleb Williams has been better than Oklahoma could’ve expected, throwing 14 touchdowns and just one interception, but those numbers have come against the soft underbelly of the Big 12. Now the freshman quarterback faces the league’s best the rest of the way, starting Saturday at Baylor.
6. Oregon (8-1) (8)
That Week 2 win at Ohio State may be enough to get Oregon into the playoff as long as it keeps winning, as unimpressive as the rest of the Pac-12 may be.
7. Notre Dame (8-1) (9)
The Irish’s offense has come alive since the Oct. 2 loss to Cincinnati, averaging 35.2 points during this four-game winning streak. A New Year’s Six bowl appearance seems very possible.
8. Michigan State (8-1) (6)
The one-sided loss to Purdue doesn’t change much for the Spartans. They still control their own destiny in the Big Ten East and can absolutely reach the playoff by winning out.
9. Michigan (8-1) (NR)
This season has mirrored the Jim Harbaugh era in Ann Arbor: The Wolverines win the games they are supposed to win, but don’t pull off any surprises, either. That’s not good enough to win the league, but it likely will result in another 10-win season.
10. Texas A&M (7-2) (NR)
What a bizarre year in College Station. Wins over Alabama and Auburn, losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State. Still, an SEC West crown remains possible if the Crimson Tide stub their toe.
Dropped out: Auburn (6-3) and Wake Forest (8-1)
Heisman Watch
(in predicted order)
QB Bryce Young, Alabama
Our leader with three regular-season games remaining, Young did enough in the win over LSU, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns. The sacks are starting to pile up — 12 in the last four games — which is worth monitoring for someone with such a slight frame.
RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
Even in defeat, Walker rushed for 146 yards and a score, keeping himself in the mix to win the award with a strong finish.
QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Pickett amassed 473 yards of offense and four touchdowns, continuing to stack up impressive numbers in his pursuit of becoming the first Heisman finalist from Pittsburgh since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.
QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
His numbers (36 of 54 for 405 yards and two touchdowns) were impressive, but this was not a strong performance. Stroud threw two interceptions and made plenty of questionable decisions.
QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss
Half of the NFL had scouts to see Corral throw for 324 yards and a touchdown in a win over Liberty this week. His odds of being the first quarterback selected in the draft are better than his shot at winning the Heisman.
