The first of the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have finally arrived. The committee has now made their first of what will be five rankings until the final on Selection Day, Dec. 8. That means there's still plenty of football left to play before we ultimately know who will make the new 12-team field. However, that doesn't mean there's no room for early overreactions after the initial rankings.
Now that the format has moved from four teams to 12 teams, the debates have not and will not stop about who is most deserving. Even though more teams have been added to the mix, the imperfect nature of the sport of college football is still at hand. So, why wouldn't there be overreactions? Here's some after the first CFP rankings.
BYU should be higher
For a team that was projected to finish near the bottom of the Big 12, the Cougars have been one of the biggest surprises in college football. Ironically, that success might even work against them.
In the first CFP rankings, BYU sits at No. 10 as the last remaining undefeated team, ranked below five one-loss teams. While this position gives the Cougars a direct shot at the top four—especially as Big 12 leaders—their ranking does seem rather low.
Despite some close calls and being outgained by a few opponents, the Cougars are, first and foremost, undefeated. It raises the question of how much brand recognition influences the committee. More importantly, BYU has defeated two now-ranked teams: No. 13 SMU (one loss) and No. 19 Kansas State (two losses).
While debatable, that’s two more ranked wins than Indiana, who is also undefeated, and arguably a stronger résumé than Tennessee, which has one loss to a four loss Arkansas team. However, the Vols do have a notable win over No. 11 Alabama. But should that have been enough to propel them over BYU?
Texas might not be deserving of No. 5
Do the Longhorns really deserve to be No. 5 in the first CFP rankings? This is where brand recognition seems to come into play. No doubt, the Longhorns are among the most talented teams in the country, but what quality wins do they truly have? Their one loss came at home to No. 3 Georgia by 15 points.
Texas is essentially riding on the strength of their Week 2 win over a then-No. 10 Michigan team in Ann Arbor. They also defeated a then-No. 18 Oklahoma team, which has struggled offensively, a few weeks later. Currently, their best win may actually be over Vanderbilt, whom they beat by three on the road.
Looking at the teams just behind them, it’s arguable that Penn State, which lost to Ohio State last week by seven, might be more deserving of the fifth spot. Or perhaps one of the two undefeated teams right behind them, Indiana and BYU.
SMU should be in the Top 10
Though the NCAA's “death penalty” sanctions have been gone for decades, SMU still garners little national respect. Yet, the Mustangs have made the smoothest transition of any school switching conferences, moving from the AAC to the ACC in 2024. All SMU has done is go 8-1, with their lone loss to an undefeated BYU, the No. 9 team in the country.
SMU also has quality wins. They defeated a now-No. 22 Louisville team on the road and last week dominated an undefeated Pitt team, which currently ranks No. 18 in the CFP rankings. Right now, the Mustangs would be the first team out, but they’re in contention for the ACC title and have a better loss than No. 10 Notre Dame and one fewer loss than Alabama.
Alabama should be first one out
Maybe Alabama regained their stride in Week 10 with a 34-0 victory over Missouri, but the Crimson Tide have looked nothing like their playoff-caliber teams of past seasons. Given this year’s performance, it’s reasonable that they’re just on the outside looking in.
Though both of their losses were by a combined 12 points to Vanderbilt and Tennessee on the road, they were still ugly. Alabama is clinging to their upset victory over Georgia at home, but if the eye test is truly a factor for CFP committee voters, can they honestly say this year’s Alabama team has passed it?
Remember, this was a team that nearly lost three straight, barely scraping out a win over South Carolina after a loss to Vanderbilt the week before. Alabama’s placement feels like a brand recognition move by the voters. If Texas A&M hadn’t faltered against South Carolina last weekend, there’s a good chance the Tide would be out of the Top 12 in the CFP rankings.
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