3 takeaways from first College Football Playoff rankings
By John Buhler
A lot happened during the first revealing of the College Football Playoff rankings on Halloween night. Here are three takeaways from the initial rankings.
In the final evening of October 2017, 13 fine people gathered in Grapevine, Texas to rank college football teams better than you. Or not, because opinions matter, especially yours. With the 2017 college football season about to enter Week 10, it was time for the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to release their first rankings.
To the surprise of many, the Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) came in at the top spot. The Dawgs edged out the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) to have two SEC teams in the top two spots. Atlanta was elated and Birmingham has never been madder since probably Kick Six.
Coming in at No. 3 were everyone’s favorite independent squad, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1). Despite his fan base trying to run him out of town, Brian Kelly is two points away from being undefeated on the season. Notre Dame has the best loss on the season, falling to Georgia at home, 20-19.
Rounding out the top four was the defending national champion Clemson Tigers (7-1). Though Deshaun Watson is doing a really good job of playing sub-.500 football in the NFL for the Houston Texans, Dabo Swinney’s boys are getting the benefit of the doubt this week. They did beat three teams that were ranked in the top 15 in a four-week span before falling to Syracuse in the Carrier on a Friday the 13th. Spooky!
There is so much going on right now. Life is happening all around us. It’s Halloween and we’re not going to Slack off this evening. It’s all about learning things and having a good time. Here are three pretty, pretty, pretty big takeaways from the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
3. The Selection Committee doesn’t believe in you, Miami or Wisconsin
Let’s give the Selection Committee an air high-five real quick. No, they were not going to be beholden to perfect records right out of the gate. Yes, Georgia and Alabama are looking really good at 8-0, but the Wisconsin Badgers’ 8-0 and the Miami Hurricanes’ 7-0 aren’t as enticing.
Not only did the Badgers and Hurricanes not make the first four in, they weren’t even the first
two
four out. Wisconsin came in at a respectable No. 9, while Miami rounded out the top 10. The only other undefeated team is the No. 18 UCF Knights of The American. Frankly, Scott Frost’s team has been more impressive than Wisky or The U so far, because, well it’s UCF and they’re getting that New Year’s Six bowl. Maybe.
Ahead of Badgers and ‘Canes were Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, the Oklahoma Sooners (7-1), the Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1), the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) and the TCU Horned Frogs (7-1). Though blemished, the first four teams out all have great losses on their résumé. Oklahoma and TCU couldn’t hang with Matt Campbell’s No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones (6-2). Ohio State lost at home to the Sooners. Penn State lost by a point in The Horseshoe at Columbus.
Wisconsin has and will play nobody. The Badgers will “Jump Around” during their cakewalk to Indianapolis. Their best win is over the Northwestern Wildcats. With the Michigan Wolverines not looking the least bit good, Wisconsin’s schedule is softer than Charmin. The Badgers will get boat raced in Indianapolis by either Ohio State or Penn State.
Mark Richt is doing a fine job in Coral Gables, but his ‘Canes definitely have some L’s on the slate in the coming weeks. Miami has the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1), No. 3 Notre Dame and probably a bowl-caliber Virginia Cavaliers team in succession. The Hurricanes might drop off the top 25 entirely in a matter of weeks.