College Football Playoff Rankings: What the Committee Got Wrong Ahead of Rivalry Week

Rivalry Weekend and Championship Saturday are all that separates us from the final College Football Playoff Rankings that will decide which four teams will be competing for a National Championship. The "Trap Game Effect" made its presence well known throughout week 12 as teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and TCU felt the heat of tough games but escaped with wins. However, the same could not be said for Ole Miss, UCF, North Carolina, and Tennessee who ultimately fell into the trap. But the biggest storyline from this weekend's games was that of the USC Trojans keeping theirs, and the Pac-12's, hopes alive for a spot in the College Football Playoff as they defeated the UCLA Bruins in what could easily be the Game of the Year. So, with a statement win on the West Coast and upsets everywhere else, what do the new College Football Rankings look like?

Let's dive into the NEW College Football Playoff Rankings!

Where the Committee got it Wrong: USC Gets No Respect

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In a separate piece last week, I argued that the USC Trojans have the best end of season resume ahead of them and getting wins in their three remaining games should get them into the College Football Playoff. Well, it seems like the Playoff Committee completely disagrees as after the Trojans big win on Saturday night against UCLA, the committee has them behind the LSU Tigers who moved into the 5^th seed that was previously occupied by Tennessee. Granted, the Tigers will most likely lose to Georgia in the SEC title game but for now, their SEC bias is in full effect.

Where the Committee got it Wrong...Again: Upsets Cause Little Falls

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• The UCF Knights lost to Navy (3-7) and fell just two spots from 20 to 22.
• The Tennessee Volunteers got a 60-piece handed to them and are still in the top 10.
• The North Carolina Tar Heels lost to Georgia Tech (4-6) and fell only four spots from 13 to 17.

Honestly, the Tar Heels ranking is not terrible until you look deeper into it as it keeps them at a high ranking that could benefit the Clemson Tigers in their slim chances into getting into the College Football Playoff. For Tennessee, in addition to their big loss they lost Hendon Hooker, and with how bad that loss was should have fallen to 12. And lastly, the UCF Knights are a Group of Five team and lost to a team with just three wins. They should not be ranked, and the South Carolina Gamecocks should be.

Current Prediction for Final Rankings

1. Georgia Bulldogs (13-0) SEC Champ
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) Big Ten Champ
3. TCU Horned Frogs (13-0) Big 12 Champ
4. USC Trojans (12-1) Pac-12 Champ
5. Michigan Wolverines (11-1) Big Ten East Runner-Up
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) SEC West Runner-Up

Conferences with the Most Teams in the Top 25

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• 1^st: Pac-12 - 6 Teams
• 2^nd: SEC - 5 Teams
• 3^rd: ACC - 4 Teams
• Tied 4^th: Big Ten - 3 Teams
• Tied 4^th: AAC - 3 Teams
• Tied 4^th: Big 12- 3 Teams
• 5^th: Independents - 1 Team

Looking Ahead to Rivalry Week

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There are Four Top 25 games in Week 13:

• No. 3 Michigan Wolverines at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
• No. 9 Oregon Ducks at No. 21 Oregon State Beavers
• No. 19 Tulane Green Wave at No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats
• No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 6 USC Trojans

Upsets Last Week:

• No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers upset by the South Carolina Gamecocks
• No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels upset by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
• No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels upset by the Arkansas Razorbacks
• No. 20 UCF Knights upset by the Navy Midshipmen
• No. 22 Oklahoma State Cowboys upset by the Oklahoma Sooners
• No. 24 NC State Wolfpack upset by the Louisville Cardinals

Potential Upsets this Week:

• Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels
• Florida Gators at No. 16 Florida State Seminoles
• South Carolina at No. 8 Clemson Tigers

MORE: "The Game": Why Ohio State & Michigan's Rivalry Remains Unnamed