Fact or Fiction: Baylor is a top five team
National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE: Where should Minnesota be ranked in CFP poll?
1. Baylor is a top five team.
Farrell's take: FICTION. While I love the job Matt Rhule is doing at Baylor and it's amazing that the Bears are undefeated at this point, they really haven't beaten anyone and the hard part of their schedule still remains. Some will make a case by saying an undefeated Power Five team should be ahead of teams with one loss, such as Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma, but not in this situation. Baylor still has to prove it to me – and to most everyone else as Tuesday night they were No. 13 in the latest College Football Playoff ranking.
Gorney's take: FICTION. I'm not entirely sure Baylor is a top 10 team in the country – and obviously neither is the College Football Playoff Selection Committee – let alone a top five team. The Bears needed multiple overtimes to get past a banged-up TCU team. They slipped by West Virginia by three points. They struggled with Texas Tech and Iowa State, and didn't blow out Rice. There are definitely bright spots and Rhule is doing a phenomenal job winning games, but there's a reason why one-loss Oklahoma is a 10-point favorite against unbeaten Baylor this weekend. I'm still not sold.
2. Alabama will miss the College Football Playoff.
Farrell’s take: FACT. You can never count out Alabama and the committee likely wants to give the Tide, currently No. 5, every chance to get into the playoff, but they will be on the outside looking in. We know LSU has the edge on them if they are both one-loss teams, and Georgia will have the edge if it beats LSU and wins out. Let’s assume Clemson, Ohio State and either LSU or Georgia are in. That means that the committee will have to leave out Oregon, Oklahoma or perhaps even Baylor to get Alabama in. It could happen, of course, but too much would have to happen for Alabama this year and the path to the playoff is easier for a few of the teams I mentioned.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is still a long way to go until the four teams for the College Football Playoff are finalized, but my bet is that Alabama gets in. The committee wants them in, there is no way a one-loss Alabama team is going to be left out and a one-loss Oklahoma or undefeated Baylor is getting in, and I just don’t see any other path to making this happen. If Penn State beats Ohio State and wins the Big Ten championship (unlikely, I know) Alabama gets in and Ohio State is out. If Georgia beats LSU in the SEC title game, I really do believe the committee takes Georgia and Alabama and uses the excuse that LSU lost later and the Tigers would be out. The ACC champ, the Big Ten champ and two SEC teams get in. The Pac-12 and Big 12 champs are left out.
3. Chase Young should shut it down.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. If Chase Young gets a four-game suspension – as some have speculated – why come back rusty and risk your NFL Draft stock? Because you made a commitment to your teammates to push forward to try to win a national title. This is kind of a foolish discussion because Young hasn’t even hinted at shutting it down, but there are those out there who think he should. I’m not one of them. Play on young man and continue to earn that No 1 draft status.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Oh, how I really want to say he should shut it down and start training for the NFL like Nick Bosa did last season. It certainly didn’t hurt Bosa’s draft stock, and he’s cashing checks and thriving for the San Francisco 49ers right now. But I side with Farrell here. Young should come back and keep destroying opponents off the edge and help Ohio State to a national title. The NFL is still going to pick Young in the first few picks. He’s a freak show at defensive end and Ohio State is the best team in the country, even after LSU took over the No. 1 spot on Tuesday night.