NCAAF : College Football Playoff Rankings Unveiled
On Oct. 1, Penn State fans had to be thinking: Why us? The Nittany Lions were 2-2 and getting drubbed at home by Minnesota.
On Nov. 1, as in Tuesday night, those fans had to be asking: Why not us?
The first release of the College Football Playoff rankings didn"t bring any major surprises, but it did bring hope to Nittany Lion fans. The selection committee ranked Penn State 12th eight slots higher than its (insignificant) AP ranking.
What that means is that Penn State, even at 6-2, has a puncher"s chance of making the playoff. The Nittany Lions would need to: a) win out (Iowa, at Indiana, at Rutgers, Michigan State) and b) have Michigan lose twice (Maryland, at Iowa, Indiana, at Ohio State) to reach the Big Ten title game, where a victory could vault them into the final four.
Climbing from 12 to 4 still would be no cinch, but consider this: The CFP committee ranked Ohio State 16th in the first-ever rankings in 2014. The Buckeyes rose to No. 4 before taking down Alabama and Oregon to win the national title.
The other Big Ten teams still alive for a playoff spot Michigan (3), Ohio State (6), Wisconsin (8) and Nebraska (10) were all ranked about where they were expected.
Michigan and Nebraska control their own playoff destiny, as everyone likes to say. Nebraska (7-1) would surge with a victory Saturday at Ohio State and a victory in the Big Ten title game.
Wisconsin needs to win out (at Northwestern, Illinois, at Purdue, Minnesota) and have Nebraska lose at least another game (at Ohio State, Minnesota, Maryland, at Iowa).
Ohio State needs to win out (Nebraska, at Maryland, at Michigan State, Michigan) and either have Michigan win its next three games (Maryland, at Iowa, Indiana) or Penn State lose one of its next four.
If all that is too much to digest, then just focus on the top of the rankings for now: Alabama is No. 1, followed by Clemson, Michigan and Texas A&M.
The Aggies got drilled by the Crimson Tide, 33-14, but they"re ranked one spot ahead of 8-0 Washington because of more quality victories. Louisville is lurking at No. 7.
Washington is the Pac-12"s only real hope, and the Big 12 is all but dead. Its highest entrant is No. 14 Oklahoma, and the league has no title game.
Think about this: Five Big Ten teams are ranked higher than the best of the Big 12.
If you heard some fireworks go off Tuesday night, they were coming from Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, not Wrigley Field.
tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-greenstein-big-ten-playoff-rankings-spt-1102-20161101-column.html
