Mind of Mike: Thoughts on latest College Football Playoff rankings
The Mind of Mike is a scary place. Here are my thoughts on the second college football playoff rankings for the 2021 season.
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We all knew Georgia would remain No. 1, but what about Alabama? The Crimson Tide didn’t look impressive eking out a win over a depleted LSU team at home despite being more than four-touchdown favorites. But Oregon and Ohio State also struggled with inferior opponents, while Michigan State lost and Cincinnati once again looked awful in a win. So what do you do? I guess you keep Alabama No. 2, as the committee did, simply because no one else looked good. But let’s be clear: Alabama stays at No. 2 because those behind them didn’t impress.
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It’s no surprise to see Oregon and Ohio State to slide up a spot as Michigan State slid following the loss to Purdue.
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The biggest news? How on earth is Michigan rated ahead of Michigan State at No. 6 when the Wolverines just lost to the Spartans a couple of weeks ago? Yes, the loss to Purdue wasn’t a good one, but when you have Oregon ahead of Ohio State because of head-to-head play, then how does this happen? This simply doesn’t make sense to me. Of course, it doesn’t really matter this early, but it certainly seems a bit ridiculous.
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Can we make a case for Texas A&M to be ranked higher than No. 11? Yes, the Aggies have losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State, but they also have wins over Alabama and Auburn. If ‘Bama is going to be ranked so highly and regarded with such prestige, then the Aggies' win over the Tide should be accorded the same respect. No. 11 seems a little low.
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Oklahoma State could also make a case to be ranked higher with only one loss to an Iowa State team that is playing a bit better. The Cowboys are winning with defense, and you wonder if they would be higher if this was a typical Oklahoma State offense.