Expansion of the College Football Playoff is arguably the greatest competitive change in the sport’s history — more significant than the move from the Bowl Championship Series to the four-team CFP a decade ago. Each week, the Hotline will dive into the 12-team playoff race with a look at the frontrunners, bubble teams and key developments across the landscape.
The second College Football Playoff rankings of the new era, scheduled to be released Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., are sure to feature major changes after losses by No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Miami.
Our eyes will be elsewhere: How will the selection committee treat the victorious teams from Week 11?
After all, we have seen instances in the past of the committee seemingly adjusting its second rankings to account for media criticism of the initial version.
In particular, the Hotline will watch these four issues on Tuesday:
— Will the committee correct for Brigham Young? Perhaps no decision drew more criticism than BYU’s placement in the No. 9 spot. Could the undefeated Cougars climb higher this week than would normally be expected following a victory over a sub-.500 opponent (Utah)?
— Will the committee correct for Indiana? The placement of the eighth-ranked Hoosiers also was viewed as too low for an undefeated team that had won every game handily. Their win over Michigan on Saturday was narrow in margin but nonetheless could allow the committee to adjust.
(In one respect, the committee caught a major break: The losses by Miami and Georgia offer a chance to move BYU and Indiana into palatable positions without having to dislodge teams that were victorious in Week 11.)
— How will Boise State be ranked relative to the top teams in the Power Four conferences? This will be an ongoing, high-stakes issue if the Broncos continue winning because of the potential for them to overtake the Big 12 or ACC champion and claim one of the top-four seeds — and the accompanying opening-round bye.
— How will the SEC be handled? The conference has two teams with one loss (Texas and Tennessee) and five teams with two losses, including No. 11 Alabama, which plastered LSU, and No. 16 Mississippi, which beat Georgia. Don’t be surprised if the SEC has five teams in the top 12 of the new rankings.
To the latest projections …
Automatic bids
The five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids to the CFP, with the top four earning opening-round byes and the four highest seeds. The fifth conference winner will be seeded according to its ranking.
1. Oregon (Big Ten). The more things change everywhere else, the less things change atop the Big Ten — and atop our projections. If the Ducks lose the conference championship game, they should receive the No. 5 seed.
2. Georgia (SEC). It’s mayhem on the top tier of the SEC with eight teams carrying either one or two losses (in conference play) into the final weeks. The last team standing won’t be seeded lower than No. 2 in the CFP.
3. Colorado (Big 12). With Iowa …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
