Despite fan backlash, the College Football Playoff Committee got the rankings 100% right

2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington
2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington / Maddie Meyer/GettyImages
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The third installment of the 2024 College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night and the commitee got the rankings 100% right yet again. After an eventful Week 12, the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff looms closer as teams fight for positioning.

In the biggest game of week 12, the Georgia Bulldogs pretty much saved their season by having defeated the Tennessee Volunteers at home. Furthermore, Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon Ducks continued their perfect season (11-0) after having survived a scare against Wisconsin.

Lastly, the Colorado Buffaloes and two-way star Travis Hunter continue to roll after a monumuntal win over the Utah Utes. The Buffaloes are 8-2 overall (most wins since 2016) and are in prime position to compete in the Big -12 championship game, which the winner is automatically entered into the College Football Playoff.

The top-five features Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Indiana. In fairness, all those teams have a legititmate claim to be in their respective positions. However, the Buckeyes will do battle against the Hoosiers this weekend in Columbus, which means either Ohio State or Indiana will likely fall out of the top-five.

As seen in the rankings, the Crimson Tide are ranked No.7 while the Volunteers are placed in the No. 11 spot, respectively. Yes, Tennessee did defeat Alabama back in October in an absolute thriller, but the Volunteers lost to Georgia, which is the same team that the Crimson Tide defeated back in September.

Furthermore, both Alabama and Tennessee each have two losses and they both suffered upsetting losses during the season. The Crimson Tide lost to an unranked Vanderbilt team while they were ranked No.1 in the nation. As for the Volunteers, they lost to an unranked Arkansas team while they were ranked No. 4 in the country. It's not that far-fetched to have Alabama ahead of Tennessee, despite what happened head to head.

The Hurricanes actually have a legitimate claim to be ahead of Ole Miss, Georgia, and Tennessee as of now. Yes, the Hurricanes did suffer a gigantic upset against a four-loss Georgia Tech team, but the Hurricanes still only have one loss unlike the Bulldogs, Volunteers, and the Rebels (each have two losses).

The Hurricanes are still projected to compete and win the ACC championship game, which if they win, they are guranteed a berth into the College Football Playoff. As for the three SEC teams in question, each of their losses were in-conference losses and neither of them are favorites to win the SEC title as of now. At this moment, it makes sense as to why the Hurricanes are ahead of three SEC heavyweights.

The Missouri Tigers are placed at the No.23 spot and fans are losing their minds. The Tigers are coming off a heart-breaking loss on the road to South Carolina last weekend, as they now have suffered their third loss of the season (all in-conference losses).

It's safe to say the Tigers won't be in SEC title contention, let alone College Football Playoff conversations. Missouri has been faced with substantial injuries to its star players such as top-rusher Nate Noel and quarterback Brady Cook throughout the season. Nonetheless, the Tigers three losses all came against top-20 teams, but rest assured, if Cook and the Tigers suffer a fourth loss, fans will no longer have to worry about seeing them ranked anymore this season.

The third installment of the 2024 College Football Playoff rankings will continue to stir up heated discussions as the season heads into a highly-anticipated week 13 slate.

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