Ben Paradis ’28
Staff Writer
Tuesday night, the College Football Selection Committee released their first Top-25 ranking of the season. Along with this, they released what the new, 12-team bracket would look like if the season were to end today. While there are still several weeks left in the season, the Committee’s initial ranking gives us an idea of what the landscape of a brand-new playoff format may look like in a few weeks.
The ranking goes as follows:
- Oregon
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Miami
- Texas
- Penn State
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- BYU
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- Boise State
Interestingly, these rankings do not directly correlate to the team’s position in the playoff bracket. The top four seeds are determined by the conference champions of Power Four: the SEC, Big 10, ACC, and Big 12. Then, the remaining 8 seeds are determined by the highest-ranked teams that did not win their conferences. This leads to many unpredictable dynamics across the board.
For example, BYU is currently the only Big 12 team in the top 12, meaning they will be the fourth seed in the playoff – also meaning they will receive a first-round bye. Colorado and Iowa State are currently fighting to play against BYU in the Big 12 championship. BYU is only ranked #9, meaning that if they lose the Big 12 championship game, they will not only lose their first-round bye but they will also likely be exiled from the playoff altogether.
The Miami Hurricanes are in a similar position, but far more secure. Miami boasts the fourth seed in the top 25 and holds a first-round bye; yet, they are on a collision course in the ACC. SMU holds the thirteenth overall seed, posting a formidable challenge for the ACC championship. If Miami were to lose this game, they would lose their first-round bye; however, they will likely remain in the playoff because of their high ranking and impressive wins throughout the season. Notably, SMU would be catapulted from not being in the playoff at all, to being a “top 4 team” and securing a first-round bye.
Ohio State also finds itself in a unique situation. Despite being ranked second overall and current betting favorites to win the National Championship, they will be pushed back to the fifth position in the playoffs, needing to play a first-round matchup. Of course, this is assuming that Oregon will win the Big 10 championship.
Ultimately, the top-25 rankings and the playoff bracket are bound to be entirely different by the end of the season. The rankings and brackets we see today will certainly not be the ones that we end the season with, making it nearly pointless to talk about the current playoff matchups. However, there are still several key conference matchups coming in the final weeks of the season that could alter the landscape significantly. Games like Tennesee vs Georgia, and Indiana vs Ohio State could completely alter the bracket we are looking at today. As the season is coming to a close, teams need to stay hot, and especially, not go cold. Truly, nobody is safe. The fate of every team is uncertain, making every game matter that much more.
It is safe to say that the new 12-team format has made college football even more exciting, which it certainly was not lacking before. In a season that has been defined by upsets and Cinderella teams, it seems as though football has dipped into the magic of basketball’s March Madness. Through the remaining weeks of the season, the College Football Committee will continue to put out a new bracket and ranking each week. It will be interesting to see how drastically the landscape changes in the next five weeks. Whatever happens, it will certainly be dramatic.
Featured image courtesy of Funrun Radio
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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