The first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings for the 2022 season was released tonight and boy do we have a lot to talk about. Now, before we dive into what we saw, let's remember that this is the first ranking of the year; there's still plenty of college football to be played and the committee will have more opportunities to change the rankings as games continue throughout the season. But half the fun in checking the rankings is getting riled up about them, so let's get started.
Where the Committee Got It Wrong: Alabama Over TCU
Left: Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images, Right: Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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Let me start off by saying that I know the Alabama Crimson Tide are most likely the better team when comparing them to the TCU Horned Frogs, but that does not mean they should be ranked higher with one loss while TCU remains undefeated. You put every other undefeated team ahead of Alabama, but not TCU. This ranking is given due to the respect the committee has for Alabama and clearly the lack of respect they have for TCU.
Where the Committee Got It Right: The Top Five
Left: Photo by Marvin Gentry/Getty Images, Right: Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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The first five seeds in the College Football Playoff Rankings were spot on. The Tennessee Volunteers have had big wins over ranked opponents and clearly have a more impressive resume than the others. Now, you might disagree with the AP Poll ranking the Georgia Bulldogs over Ohio State, but the CFP Committee recognizes that the Buckeyes have been consistent all year long. Their lone struggle was last week versus Penn State who they still beat by two scores, all while Georgia struggled in a few games including one against Kent State. Just like the two and three seed, you could swap the Clemson Tigers and the Michigan Wolverines, but the Wolverines' strength of schedule just doesn't compare to Clemson's.
Where Is the Love?
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Fortunately, the Pac-12 and Big 12 are getting a little more love this season. These two conferences have traditionally struggled in the College Football Rankings since they first began in 2014 but are finally being given the respect they deserve this year (so far). These two conferences have had teams ranked high before, but as a collective, things have not been good. This year, representation is looking a little more well-rounded.
The Pac-12 has five teams in the Top 25 and three teams ranked inside the coveted top-12 spots.
- No. 8 Oregon Ducks
- No. 9 USC Trojans
- No. 2 UCLA Bruins
- No. 14 Utah Utes
- No. 23 Oregon State Beavers
The Big 12 has four teams in the Top 25.
- No. 7 TCU Horned Frogs
- No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats
- No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys
- No 24 Texas Longhorns
Conferences With the Most Teams in the Top 25
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
- Tied 1st: Pac-12 - 5 Teams
- Tied 1st: SEC - 5 Teams
- Tied 1st: ACC - 5 Teams
- Tied 2nd: Big Ten - 4 Teams
- Tied 2nd: Big 12 - 4 Teams
- 3rd: AAC - 2 Teams
Top 25 games in Week Ten:
- No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 3 Georgia
- No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 10 LSU Tigers
- No. 24 Texas Longhorns at No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats
- No. 21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at No. 22 NC State Wolfpack
Potential Upsets:
- No. 16 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas Jayhawks
- No. 4 Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame
- No. 23 Oregon State at Washington
