The second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings was released with little change from the previous week. One analyst thinks that both Washington and Alabama should be furious with the rankings.
Washington, Alabama, And The College Football Playoff Rankings
David Hale of ESPN lays out the case for the Huskies like this. By multiple metrics, the Huskies and Ohio State are the same. Yet the Buckeyes are the number one overall team and the leader of the Pac-12 is fifth. The win over the USC Trojans didn’t impress the committee enough to vault them over Florida State. The message is clear from the committee. The Huskies must win out.
It feels weird to be angry that the Crimson Tide are getting the shaft from the committee but here is a comparison from Hale that is pretty powerful.
Team A: 5 wins vs. Quad 1 (i.e. top 35) teams in FPI, with its lone loss coming to a top-10 team
Team B: 5 wins vs. Quad 1 (i.e. top 35) teams in FPI, with its lone loss coming to a top-10 team.
Team A is Alabama and Team B is Oregon and Texas combined. The Crimson Tide lost to Texas when they were still figuring out their quarterback situation something that the committee has been forgiving of in the past. The fact that they are eighth in the rankings with their resume seems wrong.
A Lot Of Season Left
There is still a lot of football to be played. Anything can happen from week to week but these rankings do give us an idea of who the committee is valuing. The Big Ten is being put up on a pedestal while, in a surprise to no one, the Pac-12 is on the outside looking in. Still, if anyone in the top four loses, the Huskies will be in good shape. If the Crimson Tide win out and take the SEC, they will also likely sneak their way into the top four.
The College Football Playoff rankings always create a lot of discussion. These two teams aren’t the only ones that should be upset about their rankings. The system isn’t perfect but it has created even more drama for college football.
