College Football Playoff Rankings
This past weekend in college football was certainly one to remember as then #1 Georgia and #3 Notre Dame were embarrassed on the national stage. Last night, the College Football Playoff poll for this week experienced the first of a few shake-ups in the Top-4. Let’s review and see if the committee got this week right.
Third #CFBPlayoff Rankings:
1️⃣ Alabama
2️⃣ Clemson
3️⃣ Miami
4️⃣ Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/UWxc5FwGRv— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 15, 2017
Third college Football playoff rankings
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0)
Without a doubt the Crimson Tide returns as the #1 team in the nation in the College Football Poll this season. After surviving a scare against Mississippi State, it looked like that the Tide would have dropped out of the Top 4. The Tide have it easy this week thanks to the usual “Cupcake Week” in the SEC non-conference schedule. Scratch this week off as an easy win for the Tide and have them as the #1 team going in to their highly anticipated showdown against Auburn on November 25th.
This week: vs Mercer (FCS)
2. Clemson Tigers (9-1)
The Tigers clinched the ACC Coastal Division title with a win against an underwhelming Florida State. This will guarantee that whomever wins the ACC Championship game against Miami, will secure a playoff spot for the ACC, regardless of the winner. Clemson, like Alabama, will take it easy this week thanks to “cupcake week.” Another write off win for the Top-4 and the #2 team going into next week’s poll.
This week: vs The Citadel (FCS)
3. Miami Hurricanes (9-0)
Did anybody expect a blowout on Saturday night? I sure didn’t. The Hurricanes basically ended the playoff chances of Notre Dame after a 41-8 beat-down in Miami on national TV. Miami, although does not have an easy schedule to wrap up the year unlike their fellow ACC foe Clemson. The Canes really need to wow voters for the next two weeks against Virginia and Pittsburgh, both teams that are hungry to seek a spot in a bowl game. Virginia has turned heads this season, thanks to head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s rotation scheme that saw the Cavs post more than six wins since 2011… the Hurricanes should NOT sleep on Virginia.
This week: vs Virginia
4. Oklahoma (9-1)
The Big 12 conference could have their playoff representative if the Sooners hold their ground for the next two weeks. Knowing on what could happen in the Big 12, there could be a chance that the conference misses out in a playoff berth for the second year in a row. The Sooners shrugged off Bob Stoops’ surprise retirement, Baker Mayfield’s run-in with the police, and proving the pollsters wrong with win after win. The Sooners will have a cakewalk against the lowly Kansas Jayhawks, the third write-off win in the Top-4. Sooners should prepare against a feisty West Virginia in two weeks to lock-up the Big 12.
This week: @ Kansas
Surprised the CFP has Clemson ahead of unbeaten #Miami that just thumped ND w/ the Tigers loss is to a 4-6 Cuse team. But they’ll have a chance to sort it out in the ACC Title Game.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 15, 2017
NOTABLE OMISSIONS
The Big Ten (Wisconsin #5, Ohio State #9, Penn State #10)
Wisconsin, despite taking out then #20 Iowa, is the still the underdog on the outside looking in. The Badgers will try to get a quality win against #24 Michigan this week and convince the pollsters to have the Badgers jump over Oklahoma. Ohio State and Penn State had huge bounce-back victories against Michigan and Rutgers respectively. The East, although at this point is won by Ohio State, can still spoil Wisconsin in the B1G Title Game in Indy. Will an East division team slide back in to the playoff race?
SEC (Auburn #6, Georgia #7)
Auburn and Georgia have the chance to take out Alabama in back-to-back weeks starting November 25th. Their placing in the College Football Playoff Rankings could possibly give the SEC two teams in the playoff if Georgia wins out and Alabama beats Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Keep an eye out on the SEC playoff picture.
The PAC 12 (USC #11, Washington State #14)
After Washington’s loss against Stanford on Friday night, you would think that USC would go up a few spots and come within striking distance of the Top-4. The pollsters thought otherwise and now the Trojans’ chances of a playoff spot are getting slimmer by the week. The only way I could see USC even sniff a playoff berth is if the “cupcake” teams pull off upsets and for the Top-4 to lose out in some fashion. Even then, all of that happening would require a lot of divine intervention by the football gods… or “unfortunate circumstances.” USC, would need a conference championship, and a miracle to make it to the playoff.
The committee got it right this week. However my one gripe is how USC got jumped by Big Ten teams. Other than that, this week is the calm before the storm that will hit college football on November 25th. Do not expect any shake-ups this week, but keep an eye out for the playoff outliers.
