Top College Football Resumes: What will the playoff committee do with Georgia, Michigan?
The College Football Playoff selection committee doesn’t need to release rankings more than once. If the committee simply met on championship weekend and released one ranking that Sunday, it would serve its intended purpose. So why does the committee release rankings on five previous occasions prior to the only ranking that actually counts?
Ratings, baby.
But there is a major reason the committee rankings don’t start in September. (Aside from the fact that committee members have other jobs and can’t meet every weekend for three months.) By waiting until late October, the hope is that all preseason hype gets removed from the equation.
Theoretically, the committee ranking should look similar to these Resume Rankings we’ve been doing every Sunday this season. They looked very strange at first, but now they mostly resemble the major polls with a few exceptions. I’m curious if the committee ranking also includes similar exceptions.
Specifically, I’m curious about what the committee does with Georgia. The Bulldogs have topped the Associated Press and coaches polls all season, but aside from wins against Kentucky and Florida, they haven’t looked as dominant as they did rolling to national titles in 2021 and 2022. Georgia is about to face its toughest stretch of the season — and one of the toughest stretches that any team will play all season — when it faces Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee in consecutive weeks. And if the Bulldogs rip through that trio, they probably deserve to be ranked No. 1.
But as of now Ohio State has better wins (Notre Dame and Penn State), Florida State has a better best win (LSU) and Michigan has been more consistent despite not playing anyone particularly great. My guess? The committee has Georgia higher than I do but lower than No. 1. But the Bulldogs will have an excellent chance to make their case on Saturday when 7-1 Missouri comes to Athens.
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes ground out a win at Wisconsin, and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. once again made the difference by being the most special player on the field. The run game looked better with Treyveon Henderson back, but it’s still unclear whether even a fully healthy Buckeyes offense will be able to score enough on Michigan.
2. Michigan
The Wolverines didn’t play Saturday. As of this point, their ranking reflects only the results on the field. I suspect the CFP committee will treat them the same way. But the signal-stealing scandal is not going away, and it’s unclear how much it will affect the team going forward.
3. Florida State
Watching the Seminoles hammer Wake Forest on Saturday, it’s easy to forget they hadn’t beaten the Demon Deacons since 2018. Florida State is settling into a groove, but struggles from the other top teams in the ACC aren’t helpful. The Seminoles might need to go 13-0 to make the CFP.
4. Georgia
A few more games like the one against Florida and the Bulldogs will be at the top of these rankings. All they need to do is deliver that kind of performance consistently, which is easier said than done given their next three games.
5. Washington
The Huskies needed a dropped pass on fourth down by a Stanford player to survive The Farm. Twice since beating Oregon, Washington has lived dangerously. Next, the Huskies probably will have to endure a shootout against Caleb Williams and USC.
6. Oregon
The Ducks’ win at Utah was one of the most impressive by any team all season. Now they just have to keep winning to get another crack at Washington.
7. Oklahoma
If I were one of the people who set the line, I probably would have Oklahoma ranked below Texas after the Sooners’ loss to Kansas. But I still think the games get played for a reason and a head-to-head win should be respected when the teams have identical records. That said, Oklahoma could easily pick up a second loss this week in the final edition (for the time being) of Bedlam. Oklahoma State is rolling right now, and the Cowboys would love to send the Sooners out with a loss.
8. Texas
The Longhorns’ most dangerous foe the rest of the regular season? Kansas State on Saturday. The Wildcats have only one Big 12 loss, and they’ve been thrashing teams since they started alternating Will Howard and Avery Johnson at QB. In a 41-0 win against Houston on Saturday, Howard had the hot hand. Backup QB Malik Murphy played well for Texas against BYU, but he’ll be challenged by the Wildcats’ defense.
9. Alabama
The Crimson Tide can take command of the SEC West by beating LSU on Saturday, but that will require them to slow the best offense in the country. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe should be excited, though. An already shaky LSU secondary is banged up. So it could be a track meet.
10. Louisville
How on earth did the Cardinals lose to Pittsburgh? The answer is easy. They weren’t accustomed to this level of success and they’d just beaten Notre Dame. But they settled down and shut out Duke on Saturday. Now Louisville is three wins (at most) from punching its ticket to the ACC title game. Suddenly hot Virginia Tech is up next.