What CFP rankings would look like if released after Week 7
What would the The College Football Playoff committee rankings be if they were released today?
After seven weeks we are starting to see pretenders and contenders separate themselves.
Georgia has emerged as the unquestioned number one and proved it with a 30-13 win over No. 11 Kentucky.
No. 2 Iowa is our biggest loser of the week. The Hawkeye’s ugly 24-7 home loss to Purdue definitely shakes things up at the top.
Thanks to that upset, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Michigan are the week’s biggest winners.
Here we give a look at how we would rank the top 10 teams if the College Football Playoff rankings came out after week-seven.
The initial round of rankings will be released on Nov. 2.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1)
Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs was stripped of his defensive play-calling duties last week and moved from the field to the press box coaching booth.
Tulsa At Ohio State Football
Ohio State was off week-seven, but they remain at No. 10 in our rankings. The Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon is tough to get over.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1)
A dejected Iowa fan watches the waning moments of Purdue’s 24-7 upset win over No. 2 Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
20211016 Iowafootballvspurdue
Iowa moves from No. 2 to No. 9 this week after being dominated 24-7 by a two-loss Purdue team at home.
8. Kentucky (6-1)
Oct 16, 2021; Athens, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) passes against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Say what you want about the Wildcats, but other than Clemson, Kentucky played Georgia better than anyone this year.
7. Michigan State (7-0)
Oct 16, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Jalen Nailor (8) sings with his team to the fans after the match against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Spartans win 20-15. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State moves from No. 9 to No. 7 this week after a 20-15 win over Indiana.
W’ell see if Mel Tucker and the Spartans are pretenders or contenders when they face Michigan on Saturday.
6. Penn State (5-1)
Penn State head football coach James Franklin looks up at the big screen after a play in the third quarter against Iowa.
Syndication Hawkcentral
Penn State had a week off after dropping one to Iowa.
The Hawkeye’s ugly loss to Purdue makes me look at the Nittany Lions a bit differently, but then again, we’ll get a better sense of how good Penn State is when they face Ohio State in a couple of weeks.
5. Alabama (6-1)
Oct 16, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Trey Sanders (6) runs the ball against Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive tackle Nathan Pickering (22) during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
It still feels weird sticking Alabama at No. 5.
They are the biggest threat to Georgia and everyone knows it. The loss to Texas A&M is just too bad to have the Crimson Tide lower.
4. Cincinnati (6-0)
Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) throws for a first down to Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Tyler Scott (21) in the first half of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
Ucf Knights At Cincinnati Bearcats 141
You know it’s a wild college football season when a Group of 5 makes its way into the top-four.
Am I a believer? Not really. The Bearcats’ best win is over a mediocre Notre Dame team and moves up this week from No. 5 primarily because of Iowa’s loss.
3. Michigan (6-0)
Oct 9, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback Quinton Newsome (left) breaks up a pass to Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Similarly to my feelings about Cincinnati, Michigan at No. 3 just doesn’t feel right, yet here we are.
The Wolverines benefit from Iowa’s loss and other than the win over Wisconsin, which looks less and less like a factor each week, Michigan just hasn’t played anyone.
That changes in a couple of weeks when they face Michigan State.
2. Oklahoma (7-0)
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch talks with Oklahoma players during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Oklahoma won 52-31.
Ou Vs Tcu
My goodness, having to put Oklahoma at No. 2 is incredible.
It feels like the Sooners have lost multiple games this year with the quarterback issues and the way they play down to their opponents.
The Sooners will have an opportunity to prove their worth when they go up against Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Georgia (7-0)
Oct 16, 2021; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
And then there’s Georgia, by far the easiest team to rank.
The Bulldogs have separated themselves from everyone through seven weeks, and with the deterioration of Florida, the next test for UGA will be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.
1
1
