College Football Playoff Rankings: Controversy Over Double Standards in Week 2

The second week of the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings has sparked a lot of debate and controversy. The top five teams didn’t budge, even though some impressive on-field performances and key metrics suggested they maybe should have.

This has kicked up talk about possible biases and double standards inside the selection committee, especially when you look at the Big Ten and SEC. The committee’s decisions have left plenty of coaches and analysts scratching their heads, wondering if the rankings are really fair—or even consistent.

Big Ten vs. SEC: The Ongoing Debate

The CFP rankings have, once again, poured fuel on the old Big Ten versus SEC argument. Indiana, sitting at No. 2, barely got by a struggling Penn State squad with a 27-24 win.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Texas A&M rolled to a convincing 38-17 win on the road against No. 22 Missouri. Texas A&M’s schedule strength is ranked 15th by ESPN, while Indiana’s sits at 33rd. Still, the Aggies didn’t leapfrog the Hoosiers in the rankings.

Committee’s Rationale

CFP chairman Mack Rhoads said the committee looked at the full body of work for both teams. Indiana’s key wins against Oregon and Iowa were compared to Texas A&M’s victories over Notre Dame and Missouri.

The committee also gave Indiana credit for a defensive edge and the play of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who’s second in passing efficiency. That’s a pretty big deal in their eyes, apparently.

Controversial Rankings: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

There’s also been plenty of noise about Texas Tech and Ole Miss. Texas Tech jumped up to No. 6, passing No. 7 Ole Miss—even though the Rebels just destroyed The Citadel 49-0.

Texas Tech’s recent 29-7 win over BYU and their victories against top 13 teams, BYU and Utah, were big talking points for the committee. Those wins seemed to carry a lot of weight.

SEC Coaches’ Reactions

SEC coaches, Lane Kiffin included, haven’t been shy about their frustration. Kiffin pointed out that some SEC teams with top 10 schedule strengths have fired their coaches, so a tough schedule doesn’t always help in the rankings.

He also took a shot at the SEC’s move to a nine-game schedule, saying it could actually hurt the conference’s teams in the CFP rankings. It’s a bit of a mess, honestly.

Strength of Schedule: A Double-Edged Sword

Strength of schedule is always a hot topic in the CFP debate, but it’s also a magnet for controversy. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea both aired their concerns about possible biases in how the committee evaluates teams.

Vanderbilt, with a schedule strength ranked 21st, found itself behind Notre Dame (30th) and Utah (52nd), even though their records are pretty similar. That’s not sitting well with a lot of folks.

New Metrics and Adjustments

After last season’s backlash, the CFP committee rolled out a new metric—“record strength”—measuring how well a team does against its schedule. They also tweaked the schedule strength formula, putting more weight on games against tougher teams.

Still, these changes haven’t totally put concerns about fairness and consistency to rest. There’s always another wrinkle, isn’t there?

Looking Ahead: The Road to the Playoffs

The final CFP rankings drop on December 7, setting the 12-team playoff field. The upcoming conference championship games are going to be huge for shaping those final rankings.

Right now, the top four teams would get a first-round bye. The rest would face off on the higher-seeded team’s campus, which should make for some wild games.

Current Playoff Seeding

• First-round bye:
• 1. Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
• 2. Indiana
• 3. Texas A&M (SEC champ)
• 4. Alabama

• First Round (on higher-seeded team’s campus):
• 5. Georgia vs. No. 12 South Florida (Group of 5)
• 6. Texas Tech (Big 12 champ) vs. No. 11 Miami (ACC champ)
• 7. Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Texas
• 8. Oregon vs. No. 9 Notre Dame

The CFP committee’s choices are always under the microscope. It’s hard to ignore the endless debate about conference strength and how fair the rankings really are.

If you’re hunting for more updates or just want to dig into the rankings drama, check out the full article on DawgNation.