With the recent release of the College Football Playoff Rankings generating lots of buzz, frustration and excitement from fans, there are plenty of storylines to unpack! Here are my thoughts on the first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings: 

1. It’s not often I agree with the committee, but I do think they got the order of Tennessee, Ohio State, and then Georgia correct. Tennessee should be rewarded for its explosive and (so far) unstoppable offense. Additionally, the Vols’ win over Alabama is arguably the best win in the country. Ohio State should be above Georgia since the Bulldogs have played in  less close games. 
2. I understand why the committee put Clemson above Michigan since the Tigers played a tougher schedule, but I think this pick could have gone either way. While Clemson has more wins against ranked teams, those wins are starting to look less impressive as Syracuse, NC State, and Wake Forest continue to slide. Michigan’s win over Penn State looks even more impressive after Ohio State could not pull away from the Nittany Lions until the fourth quarter. I usually am a strong believer in rewarding teams for strength of schedule, but in this case I think Michigan should be above Clemson because if you put the two on a neutral field, Michigan would definitely be favored.
3. The biggest snub of the night was TCU down at seven. Despite the Horned Frogs going undefeated, putting up huge offensive numbers and having a stretch where they beat four ranked teams in four consecutive weeks (note: Kansas and Oklahoma are no longer ranked), TCU is still behind a one-loss Alabama. The selection committee cited the weak defense and TCU’s tendency to get behind early as a reason for ranking the Horned Frogs so low, but No. 1 ranked Tennessee also has a weak defense, which the committee didn’t seem to care about. The committee made it clear that TCU needs all the pieces to fall its way if it wants to make the playoff. TCU needs to win out and hope another conference knocks itself out. 
4. The committee has clearly forgiven Oregon for its blowout loss to Georgia in Week One. Oregon is the second highest one loss team behind Alabama. Oregon’s offense has much improved since its dreadful opening game, and the committee seems to be giving the Ducks a pass. 
5. I do not understand the logic behind ranking USC three spots higher than UCLA. Both have one loss, and we have the common opponent of Utah to compare them. While UCLA beat Utah pretty soundly, USC lost to them. But somehow the committee thinks USC should be ranked at No. 9. UCLA has played a more difficult schedule and not messed around with its food the way USC has. I have to think brand recognition may play a role in this. 
6. I have been preaching for years that the playoff committee has total SEC bias, and LSU at No. 10 is yet another example. LSU got blown out by Tennessee, lost to Florida State and almost lost to Auburn. Its only impressive win is against Ole Miss. If it were a team in another other conference, LSU may not be ranked this high.

Another thing to note: the Tigers’ game against Alabama this weekend can now be called a top ten matchup. What channel do you think airs this game? I’ll give you a hint, it’s the same one that broadcasts the selection show each week. 

7. I was not happy with Illinois and UNC being at No. 16 and 17 respectively. The committee clearly punished Illinois for its loss to Indiana, and they ignored the fact that the Illini have a top five defense. In UNC’s case, its top five offense was ignored. The Tar Heels’ quarterback Drake May is  underrated. He is who NFL scouts want Will Levis to be. May is putting up monster numbers, but he’s not even considered a Heisman candidate by many, which shocks me. I understand that North Carolina has a poor defense, but the Tar Heels have made it out with only one loss, and they should be rewarded with a higher ranking. 
8. Why am I not surprised that the committee found a way to sneak Texas into the rankings, despite the Longhorns’ three losses? Yes, Texas did play Alabama close and Quinn Ewers was out for a few games, but three losses at this point in the season is a lot. The Longhorns’ best win is against a flailing Oklahoma team. Is a  “good” loss enough to justify ranking a team now-a-days, or is this more of a Texas exception?