The first college football playoff rankings came out this week and boy were they wrong. Clemson at No. 4 was immediately exposed as a fraud ranking when the Irish took a shillelagh to the Tigers' run defense. Ohio State and Michigan were caught sleepwalking in their first half of football, while Tennessee and Alabama took tough losses in SEC play. In total 9 teams in the rankings (8 in this one as Oregon State was on the waiting list) were on the wrong end of the scoreboard and some were more embarrassing than others. Syracuse and Oklahoma State continued their rapid fall out of the polls with three losses each in the last four weeks. They joined Wake Forest as the only three teams to drop out of the rankings from last week. In fact, for any team to get in these rankings they need not apply if they are a three-loss team (sorry Notre Dame and Texas).
This week's conference power rankings show that the SEC is still the top (+6), while the PAC-12 (+1) took a significant hit with 5 teams now at risk of becoming bowl ineligible this week. The MAC is still the worst overall, but they have cut their bottom feeder number to -3 thanks to MAC leaders Ohio and Toledo rounding out the Top 50. The American may be at 0, but it's hard to argue that they aren't the best group of 5 conference. At the very least, no other conference will give you the highest-scoring regulation game in FBS history when SMU defeated Houston 77-63. Clayton Tune threw for over 500 yards and seven touchdowns and lost because Tanner Mordecai had 9 touchdown tosses for the Mustangs.
There are 52 teams that have clinched bowl bids and another 22 can get it done this week with a win. One of those is Eastern Michigan, who will highlight mid-week MACtion against Akron (1-8), so look for me to be incredibly sad when this doesn't happen.
And now for this week's rankings (sponsored by mascots):
1. TCU aka SuperFrog (9-0, WP 54.7, LP 0)
Last Week (No.3): 34-24 over Texas Tech
Up Next: Texas (6-3, No. 37)
Playoff Hopes: The Horned Frogs were ranked 7th in the first edition of the college football playoff rankings and didn't really do anything to help boost that, but then again neither did half the teams in the Top 10. But just like DJ Khaled, all they do is win and it's hard to stop an undefeated team in a Power 5 school from making the playoffs. Texas and Baylor could be party crashers in the next two weeks.
2. Ohio State aka Brutus (9-0, 62, 0)
Last Week (No. 1): 21-7 win over Northwestern and the elements
Up Next: Indiana (3-6, 102)
Playoff Hopes: The hopes are great as they continue their leg of the Big Ten bottom feeders with the Hoosiers next week. Maryland is not the same team that challenged Michigan earlier in the year and as long as that is not a trap game, everything comes down to a Saturday in Columbus against THE Team Up North for the Big Ten East and ultimately de facto championship.
3. Michigan (9-0, 66.6, 0)
Last Week (No. 5): 52-17 win over Rutgers in the second half
Up Next: Nebraska (3-6, 99)
Playoff Hopes: That Illinois game looks less threatening and Nebraska will probably be annoying, but ultimately a battle of undefeated teams in Columbus will likely be the end result. Although, if either Michigan or Ohio State plan on playing like they have been in the first half of games, maybe don't bother showing up to get your teeth kicked in by Georgia. Finally, the only knock I have against the greatest college football team in the history of football is their lack of a mascot. Seriously, be less Yankees and more SEC live mascot and get a real one of these roaming the sidelines.
4. Georgia aka UGA (9-0, 69.2, 0)
Last Week (No. 6): 27-13 drubbing of Tennessee
Up Next: Mississippi State (6-3, 31)
Playoff hopes: The Bulldogs saved all their fun for the end of the season and will rise up these rankings as they will likely win their final three games, but two of them will be against teams in the Top 40 of these rankings. Their match-up in the SEC title game will be far superior to that of any other conference (thanks a lot Big Ten West), so even a loss in that game will likely punch their bid to the playoffs. They have two of the more impressive wins of the college football season, so in an alternate reality they are easily the number one team, but maybe don't schedule Samford (FCS) and you'll be ranked higher in this poll. As for mascot hype, UGA is one of my Top 5 because he's fat, lazy, and gets a dog house with a block of ice inside because he's over this stupid game you brought him to.
Last Week (No. 2): Lost to Georgia 27-13
Up Next: Missouri (4-5, 88)
Playoff Hopes: This was a gut punch to their hopes as they will not likely win the SEC East unless Georiga implodes in their next two games. That means they could be a one-loss non-champion contender, depending on how the conference champs from other schools perform. We know the committee loves one-loss teams from the SEC, so get used to it now that this could be a possibility. Finally, don't you want to just fluff that good boy's face!
6. Clemson aka The Tiger (8-1, 59, 39)
Last Week (No. 4): Embarrassed in South Bend 35-14
Up Next: Louisville (6-3, 30)
Playoff Hopes: The Tigers are lucky that the rest of their half of the ACC has imploded giving them a spot in the ACC Championship game that will likely be against UNC. Clemson has been shaky all season and a Louisville team that pummelled Wake Forest is up next. South Carolina may put up a fight this year for once, but a one-loss Tennessee looks better than a one-loss Clemson and their stupid-looking mascot, ACC Champs or not.
7. Oregon aka The Duck (8-1, 71, 1)
Last Week (No. 9): 49-10 herding of Colorado
Up Next: Washington (7-2, 20)
Playoff Hopes: Who thought the Ducks would be here after their beatdown by Georgia? The Ducks have a minefield to navigate in their final three games. A ranked Washington will be the first encounter, followed by a ranked Utah team and a recently ranked Oregon State to finish the season. Winning this game and potentially a matchup with USC or UCLA would put them in a prime position to get a rematch with Georgia. The Duck is a great mascot, nearly as great as Bo Nix has been playing this season, but never forget that 20 years ago they tried to replace him with this.
8. Ole Miss aka the Land Shark (8-1, 76.4, 27)
Last Week (No. 7): Bye Week
Up Next: Alabama (7-2, 16)
Playoff Hopes: The sleeper of the SEC, we'll find out if Lane Kiffin's team is for real or not when they face Alabama. The Crimson Tide are coming off a tough loss and Ole Miss got an extra week to prepare for this game. Watch out for the Egg Bowl this year as Mississippi State can play spoiler if the Rebels make it this far with one loss. As for the mascot, it used to be a plantation owner, which was rightfully scrapped for a Bear that wore the same outfit and then replaced by a land shark which is a reference to something that I don't care enough to remember or look up.
9. USC aka guy on a Trojan horse (8-1, 78.6, 47)
Last Week (No.11): Survived Cal 41-35
Up Next: Colorado (1-8, 127)
Playoff Hopes: Like Oregon, the Trojans have a tough climb to get to the top of the Pac-12. USC gets a nice warm-up against the conference's worst team before the battle of L.A. against UCLA. Then they close the season out against a much-improved Notre Dame team.
Last Week (No. 12): 50-36 win over Arizona State
Up Next: Arizona (3-6, 111)
Playoff Hopes: USC is really the only tough task left on the schedule, but UCLA has already lost to Oregon and played with fire against Washington and South Alabama. That last one might seem shocking and really it is, but the Jaguars currently have a spot in the Sun Belt Championship if the season ended today and are on this week's waiting list.
The Rest of the Top 25:
11. UNC (8-1, 82.6, 88)
Last Week Rank: 13
Up Next: Wake Forest (38)
Playoff Hopes: Win the ACC or Bust
12. Tulane (8-1, 85.8, 115)
LWR: 14
Up Next: UCF (23)
Playoff Hopes: Not happening, but a New Year's Six bowl is possible
13. Liberty (8-1, 88.6, 17)
LWR: 16
Up Next: UConn (76)
Playoff Hopes: None, maybe New Year's Six
14. Coastal Carolina (8-1, 90.1, 93)
LWR: 15
Up Next: Southern Miss (61)
Playoff Hopes: None, maybe New Year's Six
15. LSU (7-2, 44.1, 28.5)
LWR: 19
Up Next: Arkansas (54)
Playoff Hopes: Faint, but winning SEC might put them in.
16. Alabama (7-2, 45.6, 3)
Up Next: Ole Miss (8)
Playoff Hopes: See LSU plan
17. Penn State (7-2, 52.4, 6.5)
LWR: 17
Up Next: Maryland (43)
Playoff Hopes: Nonexistent
18. Troy (7-2, 71.3, 36)
LWR: 21
Up Next: Army (96)
Playoff Hopes: None
19. NCST (7-2, 71.7, 10.5)
LWR: 26
Up Next: Boston College (119)
Playoff Hopes: None
LWR: 25
Up Next: Oregon (7)
Playoff Hopes: Nope, but look at that good boy
21. Illinois (7-2, 74.7, 97)
LWR: 9
Up Next: Purdue (55)
Playoff Hopes: Dashed by Sparty
22. Utah (7-2, 80.1, 33.5)
LWR: 24
Up Next: Stanford (109)
Playoff Hopes: Maybe a Rose Bowl?
23. UCF (7-2, 80.9, 85.5)
LWR: 27
Up Next: Tulane (12)
Playoff Hopes: None, but they can ruin Tulane's season
24. UTSA (7-2, 83.4, 45.5)
LWR: 29
Up Next: Louisiana Tech and this good boy (108)
Playoff Hopes: They are the only CUSA team in the Top 50, so they got that going for them, which is nice.
25. Cincinnati aka Lucielle and the Bearcat (7-2, 88.6, 28.5)
LWR: 30
Up Next: East Carolina (35)
Playoff Hopes: None, but I was re-traumatized that UC had to euthanize Lucy the Bearcat last year.
Waiting List: South Alabama, San Jose State, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Louisville, Mississippi State, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, ECU, Kentucky, Texas, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Oregon State
Newly Gone and Certainly Forgotten (Bowl-Ineligible Teams After This Week):
Northern Illinois, Boston College, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Virginia Tech
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