The penultimate Playoff rankings are here.
Lots of chalk up top and churn in the middle as rivalry weekend shook things up. But now we can train ourselves firmly on the top four as the final weekend before bowl season is imminent.
Good: It’s win and in, and three teams may not even have to win
You don’t get much more cut and dry heading into championship weekend. It’s almost like the Playoff committee doesn’t really want much work heading into the weekend because with the top four as it stands, their work is almost done.
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. TCU
4. USC
…
5. Ohio State
6. Alabama
The established teams in the top four still might not change if it’s either of the three undefeateds. However, USC remains the true fulcrum of Playoff chaos because its potential loss to Utah would create a discussion of what to do with Ohio State and Alabama. They’re both sitting there precariously just waiting for a shoe to drop.
Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
Bad: Is it a foregone conclusion Bama and Ohio State will remain 5 and 6?
The last time we saw the Buckeyes, they were getting smacked by Michigan. They do only have one loss whereas Bama has two. However, Bama’s losses are each by one score where Ohio State’s was much more of a statement by the Wolverines.
As committee chair Boo Corrigan said on the show: “college football always delivers.” Now we’ve already discussed the easy way it can deliver chaos—but what if college football over delivers? If Georgia or Michigan lose, it’s not so much that they may be knocked out of the dance, but what could happen to their resumés? The Buckeyes might not actually be set in stone as the next team up depending on what the committee decides. Would a potential blowout of Michigan by Purdue be what it takes to change Ohio State’s perch? A win by LSU over Georgia would also certainly help the Tide’s resumé.
Watch Conference Championship Games: December streaming schedule.
Ugly: No respect for the Roadrunners?
UTSA is ranked in both the AP and Coaches polls, but not a sniff in the Playoff rankings. The committee doesn’t release an “others receiving votes” category, but if they did, it would be interesting to see how close UTSA came. It’s abundantly clear the winner of the AAC championship game is the team that will represent the Group of 5 in the Playoff as an at-large berth in the Cotton Bowl, but we may not know how close UTSA came to swiping that spot unless the Roadrunners are ranked in the final Playoff rankings.
