5 teams who could be higher, or lower, in first CFP rankings than in the AP Top 25
Don't be shocked if these five college football teams have a different ranking between where they are in this week's AP Top 25 poll and where they could be in the College Football Playoff rankings.
By John Buhler
For the last few months now, the AP Top 25 poll has been our guiding light toward who is good and maybe who isn't across major college football. The poll for the upcoming Week 10 slate came out on Sunday afternoon around its usual time of 2:00 p.m. ET. Its top six teams are in the following order: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Washington and Oregon. All are real playoff contenders.
However, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee goes about things a little differently. It falls out of Boo Corrigan's apple tree on the reg, so be prepared for pretty much anything. How the Selection Committee goes about its business is a little unorthodox. They group teams based on clusters and arrive at their unified conclusion that not even Corrigan might even totally agree with...
So with that in mind, how the AP Top 25 looks will differ from what the Selection Committee decides. There will be teams that the Selection Committee shafts that the AP voters are madly in love with. Conversely, the Selection Committee may hype up a three-loss team more than anyone with a brain ever should. Regardless, Tuesday nights on ESPN are now appointment television, so buckle up, gang!
Here are five teams who may be higher, or lower, in the first CFP rankings compared to the AP Top 25.
5 teams who could be in different spots in AP Top 25 and CFP rankings
Georgia Bulldogs could be lower than No. 1
I would not agree with this at all, but I can understand how the Selection Committee can find a way to not have the undefeated, two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs at No. 1. They are 8-0 and have not lost a game in almost two years. In fact, the Dawgs have not lost a regular-season game since falling to Dan Mullen's Florida Gators in the 2020 World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
What this could all come down to is Georgia's resume being valued more than the proverbial eye test. The Dawgs' two best wins thus far are blowout victories over Kentucky at home and Florida in Jacksonville. Precedent shows the Selection Committee could dock Georgia and have them at No. 3. If they do that, you can pretty much guarantee that the Missouri Tigers are going to lose in Athens...
Even if the Dawgs were No. 2 or No. 3, wins over Mizzou, Ole Miss and Tennessee will change that.