College Football Daily Cavalcade: What I think, what I know, and what I believe after the latest round of College Football Playoff Rankings.
College Football Playoff Rankings: Daily Cavalcade on the Top 25
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Sorry if this take sucks, it’s not my fault …
It had to go on the road to play Utah and Ohio State last week. It’s not like it had to play SMU – aka the second-coming of 1995 Nebraska.
There you go, everyone. Cincinnati is in the top four …
I think … SMU is just whatever.
I know … Cincinnati is getting a TON of love for that win over a meh team.
I believe … too many people care about records and not the teams themselves.
I think … Cincinnati will end up in the College Football Playoff.
I know … it’s not going to be because of anything funky, if it gets in.
I believe … the College Football Playoff committee won’t put in a two-loss Alabama over Cincinnati. At least …
I think … the College Football Playoff committee won’t put in a two-loss Alabama over Cincinnati.
I know … the committee LOVES itself some Alabama.
I believe … this will be an interesting debate if it comes down to two-loss Alabama vs unbeaten Cincinnati for the last spot.
[lawrence-related id=539423]
I think … Cincinnati loses to either East Carolina or Houston.
I know … those are the two most dangerous games Cincinnati will play other than the win over Notre Dame.
I believe … if Cincinnati wallops ECU and Houston, it’s in without much of a debate. However …
I think … schedule is going to factor into the final College Football Playoff rankings.
I know … the committee is ALL about the Power Five conference championships.
I believe … this isn’t as easy as you might think.
I think … too many analysts are treating the latest round of rankings like they are set in stone.
I know … EVERYTHING the committee does up until the final rankings don’t matter.
I believe … they’re simply a snapshot of the moment. The final rankings take into account the most important games of the year – the Power Five conference championships. Which is why …
I think … a 12-1 Big 12 Champion gets in. (More on this in a moment.)
I know … a 12-1 Big 12 Champion Oklahoma State will get in.
I believe … a 12-1 Big 12 Champion Oklahoma will get in … maybe.
I think … Houston could become a factor.
I know … the College Football Playoff committee – when it comes to the final rankings – takes the entire season into account, and Texas Tech’s win over Houston to start the season could become more prominent, because …
I believe … it’s a problem for Cincinnati if it struggles with the Cougars in the American Athletic Conference Championship, because …
I think … Oklahoma State just pitched a perfect game against the Red Raiders.
I know … it’s not the same Texas Tech team in a whole lot of ways than the one that showed up to start the season.
I believe … the committee is more torn overall on Cincinnati than you think.
Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Bowl Projections | Bowl Bubble
I think … Notre Dame is in a weird spot – and no, not South Bend.
I know … it can’t get past the hard ceiling of unbeaten Cincinnati.
I believe … Notre Dame needs Cincinnati to lose one of these last two games, and then it’s right there in the mix for the top four.
I think … the College Football Playoff committee isn’t taking an 11-1 Notre Dame over a 12-1 Big 12 Champion.
I know … Notre Dame has a real shot to get in if Georgia blows out Alabama.
I believe … Notre Dame should be ranked ahead of Michigan and will be after this weekend, but it needs to draw an inside straight to get in. (BTW, I think I don’t know that I believe what that poker term actually means.)
I think … y’all are missing one key self-fulfilling aspect of the College Football Playoff rankings.
I know … Oklahoma State is 7, Baylor is 8, and Oklahoma is 10. SO …
I believe … if there’s a 12-1 Big 12 champion Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, it’ll technically have two wins currently left unaccounted for against current top ten teams. SO, technically, no one has a tougher final two game schedule right now than a 12-1 Big 12 Champion.
I think … the Rose Bowl race becomes interesting if Ohio State wins out.
I know … if Michigan keeps this reasonably close against the Buckeyes, it’ll get the nod to Pasadena unless …
I believe … Michigan State will go to the Rose Bowl if it annihilates Penn State, because the committee would put Spartans up over the Wolverines in the final rankings.
I think … San Diego State isn’t all that great.
I know … San Diego State beat Utah.
I believe … 10-1 San Diego State should – technically – be above the Utes.
I think … it’s going Alabama isn’t in this as much as everyone thinks it is – if it loses to Georgia.
I know … Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan are the only four teams that truly control their own destiny.
I believe … it’s going to be Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati.
I think … I know it’s all going to be okay.
I know … I believe it’s all going to be okay.
I believe … I think it’s all going to be okay.
[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]
Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Bowl Projections | Bowl Bubble