Questions raised by College Football Playoff committee’s third rankings
As always, this public service announcement. The final set of College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released Dec. 4, means everything. Every other set — including this latest one — means nothing. The selection committee acknowledges that’s so, and yet keeps doing it, anyway. It’s almost like they like throwing rocks at the hornets’ nest that is college football and then watching the angry swarms form.
But the CFP Top 25 does provide a window into what the committee members think at any given point. The rankings themselves, and to a lesser extent the explanations given by committee chair Kirby Hocutt, provide insight into at least some of the factors that will matter when they’re finally compiling the final rankings — you know, the only one that matters.
Each week’s ranking — and Hocutt’s answers — inevitably raise more questions. We’ll answer a few of them.
What should the rankings have been?
1. Alabama
2. Not Your Team
3. You’re Stunned
4. That’s About Right
5. OUTRAGE
6. BITTERNESS
No, we’re just kidding. Here are the actual questions and answers:
What would it take for Alabama to get left out of the Playoff?
A giant meteor. Or a loss either to Chattanooga or in the SEC championship game to a heavy, heavy underdog from the SEC East (OK, or both). The meteor shower might be more likely.
Even a loss to rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl wouldn’t be enough to knock Bama out of the Playoff, just down a notch or three in the seeding.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/columnist/george-schroeder/2016/11/16/college-football-playoff-rankings-questions-alabama-ohio-state-michigan-clemson/93942066/
