The Badgers are now ranked by zero (0) polls. 🙁
On Tuesday night, the fifth College Football Playoff rankings were released and, per tradition, there is a lot to shout about. Before we get into that, here are the top four teams in the rankings:
1) Georgia Bulldogs
2) Michigan Wolverines
3) Alabama Crimson Tide
4) Cincinnati Bearcats
Check out the full #CFBPlayoff selection committee rankings for games played through November 27.
Where does your team rank as we head into conference championship weekend and Selection Day?
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 1, 2021
The rest of the top-10 is as follows: Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Baylor and Oregon.
This may come as a shock to you, dear reader, but after losing to Minnesota on Saturday dropped the Wisconsin Badgers (8-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) all the way out of the CFP rankings. Man, the committee must really not respect the Gophers if one loss to them means you go from No. 14 to unranked. There is only one Big Ten West team ranked at all, No. 13 Iowa, which I choose to believe is because the division is just TOO good and beat up on itself all season.
After beating Ohio State, Michigan is now sitting at No. 2 and staring down a “win and in” Big Ten title game against the aforementioned Hawkeyes. Alabama just won’t die and sits at No. 3 ahead of their SEC title game matchup with the Dawgs. Please, spare us this bad Alabama team in the Playoff, UGa. PLEASE! Cincinnati is still in, but there is worry that Oklahoma State will jump them if the Cowboys win the Big 12.
And then…there is Notre Dame.
CFP chair Gary Barta says the committee’s protocols do include player/coach availability, ie Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame could be a factor in the final rankings.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 1, 2021
The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 6 and have no more regular season games remaining. They ALSO don’t have a head football coach right now as Brian Kelly is now at LSU. I don’t really understand how not having Kelly for a potential CFP matchup makes a difference in next week’s rankings but didn’t in this week’s rankings, when the committee already knew about him taking the new job…but I don’t know why I’d search for consistency from a group of people who have none.
Sigh, Wisconsin is out of the rankings, UTSA is out of the rankings and Clemson is in the rankings again. Tough week, friends.