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College Football Playoff: Don’t put much stock in Week 10 ranks

By Matthew Bartlett

ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 12: The Ohio State Buckeyes kick off to the Oregon Ducks during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium on January 12, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 12: The Ohio State Buckeyes kick off to the Oregon Ducks during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium on January 12, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Halloween. Here’s your reminder that not being in the initial top four isn’t a big deal.

This is for all the Wisconsin fans out there. It’s for the fans of the teams that don’t have the luster of Notre Dame’s famous helmets. It’s going to be okay.

First, stop and consider why there are rankings being published prior to Week 10 in the first place. Since only the final ranks matter this release is nothing more than a thoughtful exercise. It’s a hypothetical. The question “What if?” is so intricately tied to the world of sports and that’s what these rankings are meant to stimulate. These are a discussion starters and interest drivers. It doesn’t affect who’s actually going to the College Football Playoff.

Need proof?

Here are the first four teams from every College Football Playoff release. Teams in bold made the Playoff.

  • 2014: 1. Mississippi State, 2. Florida State, 3. Auburn, 4. Ole Miss
  • 2015: 1. Clemson, 2. LSU,  3. Ohio State, 4. Alabama
  • 2016: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Michigan, 4. Texas A&M

Did you see a trend? Making the first four isn’t that much more indicative of your team making the Playoff at all. In fact, more than half of the teams to earn a spot in the initial four have not made the College Football Playoff.

Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 9

So when your team isn’t in the top four, or the top 10 for that matter, don’t get too bummed. There is plenty of football still to be played, and ultimately that’s what is going to decide who’s playing on New Year’s Eve. The human element is a factor, but nothing replaces a team taking care of its own business and winning the games in front of them. Let the rankings be rankings, just win.

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