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Did College Football Playoff Committee Get it Right in Week 12 Rankings?

By Zach Bigalke

Oct 1, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Kendall Joseph (34) attempts to bring down Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second quarter at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Kendall Joseph (34) attempts to bring down Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second quarter at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive line lines up against the Ohio State Buckeyes defense line during the game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive line lines up against the Ohio State Buckeyes defense line during the game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

What the College Football Playoff Committee Got Wrong

How did Michigan manage to stay anchored at third in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings after losing to a three-touchdown underdog? The Wolverines were held to just 201 yards and 14 first downs against Iowa, coughing up two turnovers en route to their first loss of the year. While Iowa is a team comparable to Pittsburgh in terms of their respective level of quality, one wonders what made this loss less worthy of punishment than the defeat suffered by Washington against a ranked USC team.

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A far more egregious decision by the committee was rating Boise State ahead of undefeated Western Michigan in the Group of Five race for the Access Bowl invitation. Boise State certainly has the best statement win against Power Five competition, having taken down Pac-12 North contender Washington State on the road, but their other win against the Pac-12 was against woebegone Oregon State. Western Michigan also has two statement wins against the Big Ten, and while neither Northwestern nor Illinois is as good as the Cougars they are also both better than the Beavers this year. Combined with the fact that Boise State doesn’t control its own fate in the MWC Mountain, this feels like the College Football Playoff committee is trolling WMU.

It is also hard to figure out just what Oklahoma State and Tennessee have done to deserve such high positions in this week’s Top 25. It almost feels like the CFP deliberators have chosen to pretend that the Cowboys never actually lost to Central Michigan. And while the Volunteers did get a head-to-head win over Florida, it seems ludicrous to rank them four spots ahead of the Gators. After all, Tennessee still needs Jim McElwain’s team to lose against LSU in their last conference game of the season just to reach Atlanta and square off against Alabama on neutral turf.

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