Last week's rankings: MEANINGLESS FAKE BCS RANKINGS!
Although the computers don't care as much how many games you've played (except the Colley Matrix...), the CFP committee certainly does. Ohio State was 3 last week in the BCS, and despite increasing its lead over Clemson, remains at 4 in the CFP Rankings.
| Team | Record | BCS Rank | BCS Average | AP Poll | AP Avg | Coaches | Coaches Avg | Computer | Computer Avg | CFP Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9-0 | 1 | 0.9994 | 1 | 1.0000 | 1 | 0.9981 | 1 | 1.0000 | 1 |
| Notre Dame | 10-0 | 2 | 0.9390 | 2 | 0.9561 | 2 | 0.9542 | 3 | 0.9067 | 2 |
| Ohio St | 5-0 | 3 | 0.9120 | 3 | 0.9077 | 4 | 0.8948 | 2 | 0.9333 | 4 |
| Clemson | 9-1 | 4 | 0.8916 | 4 | 0.8948 | 3 | 0.9000 | 4 | 0.8800 | 3 |
| Florida | 8-1 | 5 | 0.7890 | 6 | 0.7955 | 6 | 0.8116 | 5 | 0.7600 | 6 |
| Texas A&M | 7-1 | 6 | 0.7818 | 5 | 0.8219 | 5 | 0.8168 | 7 | 0.7067 | 5 |
| Cincinnati | 8-0 | 7 | 0.7554 | 7 | 0.7768 | 7 | 0.7561 | 6 | 0.7333 | 8 |
| Indiana | 6-1 | 8 | 0.6358 | 8 | 0.6755 | 9 | 0.6452 | 9 | 0.5867 | 12 |
| Miami FL | 8-1 | 9 | 0.6270 | 9 | 0.6703 | 8 | 0.6774 | 11 | 0.5333 | 10 |
| Georgia | 6-2 | 10 | 0.6133 | 12 | 0.5897 | 10 | 0.6368 | 8 | 0.6133 | 9 |
| Iowa St | 8-2 | 11 | 0.5697 | 10 | 0.6110 | 11 | 0.6181 | 12 | 0.4800 | 7 |
| Coastal Car | 10-0 | 12 | 0.5609 | 11 | 0.5955 | 13 | 0.5406 | 10 | 0.5467 | 13 |
| Oklahoma | 7-2 | 13 | 0.5072 | 13 | 0.5400 | 12 | 0.5548 | 14 | 0.4267 | 11 |
| BYU | 9-1 | 14 | 0.4375 | 14 | 0.4600 | 16 | 0.3858 | 13 | 0.4667 | 18 |
| USC | 4-0 | 15 | 0.3820 | 16 | 0.4026 | 15 | 0.3968 | 15 | 0.3467 | 15 |
| Northwestern | 5-1 | 16 | 0.3660 | 15 | 0.4174 | 14 | 0.4406 | 18 | 0.2400 | 14 |
| Louisiana | 9-1 | 17 | 0.3257 | 17 | 0.3613 | 17 | 0.3226 | 17 | 0.2933 | 19 |
| Iowa | 5-2 | 18 | 0.2430 | 19 | 0.2735 | 18 | 0.2555 | 20 | 0.2000 | 16 |
| Tulsa | 6-1 | 19 | 0.2247 | 18 | 0.2865 | 19 | 0.2542 | 23 | 0.1333 | 24 |
| Colorado | 4-0 | 20 | 0.2038 | 21 | 0.1632 | 22 | 0.1148 | 16 | 0.3333 | 21 |
| North Carolina | 7-3 | 21 | 0.1454 | 20 | 0.1974 | 20 | 0.2387 | 0.0000 | 17 | |
| Texas | 6-3 | 22 | 0.1366 | 23 | 0.1058 | 23 | 0.1039 | 20 | 0.2000 | 20 |
| Wisconsin | 2-2 | 23 | 0.1314 | 25 | 0.0742 | 25 | 0.0800 | 18 | 0.2400 | |
| San Jose St | 5-0 | 24 | 0.0910 | 0.0426 | 0.0439 | 22 | 0.1867 | |||
| Liberty | 9-1 | 25 | 0.0809 | 22 | 0.1232 | 21 | 0.1194 | 0.0000 |
Other observations: The computers don't value TAMU's win over Auburn nearly as much as anyone else. Their highest Computer rank is 6 (Massey) and lowest is 16 (Colley Matrix), and yet somehow the polls and the committee all have them at 5. Likely because they also beat Florida, whom the computers apparently like. Cincinnati is the loser there, because the committee had to push them down in order to place TAMU above the team they beat. Also, Iowa State?
Iowa State at 7 is a real head scratcher. They are at best 10th in the computers and unranked at worst, and no human poll has them higher than 10 either. Not sure what the committee is thinking here. I guess having a Big XII represented in the top 10 is important? More important than having 2 Big Ten teams (or less than 4 SEC teams) apparently.
Speaking of Big Ten teams, Indiana is not feeling the love despite beating Wisconsin without its apparently all-world quarterback. Maybe that's more an indictment on Wisconsin, but the apparent Big Ten East Champions*** are valued much less by the CFP committee than the human polls or computers. Maybe because they lost to us, I guess, and we ain't played nobody (or we haven't played enough nobodies)?
Obviously, nothing really counts this year. USC and/or Colorado could win out (I think their game against each other was cancelled) and either could crash the party. It's funny to talk about Ohio State and say "You can't leave an undefeated Power 5 team out" and then look at the PAC and giggle to yourself. But either of those teams could end up with as many or more games played than us, with arguably a stronger SOS (thanks PSU/MSU/scUM). Whose to say USC doesn't belong?
The best way to think about it, as my wife continuously tells me, is that nothing counts this year. It would be great to claim a national championship, but it's as much a stroke of luck this year as anything. Ohio State did everything right to avoid Covid and is a big part of even having a season. So now we are on the wrong side of a stupid rule made to prevent 3-0 Purdue from jumping 6-1 Wisconsin despite not playing each other, which didn't actually end up happening. And people have the gall to say "we didn't follow the rules" and we shouldn't get to play. Um, actually we did, unless you wanted us to voluntarily infect Illinois are risk further spread within our own program. But sure, we intentionally canceled a game just to stick it to Indiana! We sure showed them! Good thing we didn't have to settle it on the field! (oh wait...)
So anyways, now we need a little luck (or bad luck somewhere else) to get to play this weekend, or have our conference mocked for catering to us by changing the rules, despite the ACC flaunting it (and trying to claim Notre Dame as their own). But again, this year doesn't count and we shouldn't get all worried about it. Let's win the games we can win, kicked Covid's ass, and return to some semblance of normalcy next year.
