Time to start arguing again.

College Football Playoff Rankings

25. Arkansas Razorbacks
24. Houston Cougars
23. Clemson Tigers
22. UTSA Roadrunners
21. San Diego State Aztecs
20. NC State Wolfpack
19. Utah Utes
18. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
17. Pittsburgh Panthers
16. Iowa Hawkeyes
15. Texas A&M Aggies
14. Wisconsin Badgers
13. BYU Cougars
12. Michigan State Spartans
11. Oregon Ducks
10. Oklahoma Sooners
9. Ole Miss Rebels
8. Baylor Bears
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
5. Michigan Wolverines

4. Cincinnati Bearcats

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

1. Georgia Bulldogs

Rapid Reactions

GF3: Lol. Eat shit and live, Harbaugh. I only wish Cincinnati had any chance to survive in the top 4 until the late end.

Stew: Did not watch. Don’t really care. The playoffs are meh. This week doesn’t matter, either.

Also, Cincy isn’t that good and doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

WSR: Looking forward to this getting dumb as hell when Auburn beats Bama and tOSU hangs about 70 on Michigan. No matter what, it ends with Cincinnati getting screwed.

The only really stupid thing is the presence of B1G West teams in the top 20. Get that trash out of there.

Thumpasaurus: Oh boy, they’re really gonna do it. I believe it was last week’s podcast where I suggested that if Barta & Co really want to pound despair into the hearts of Cincinnati fans and the fans of all underdogs and outsiders, they’ll at some point put Cincinnati in the top four and explain it by talking about how you have to respect Cincinnati’s record and whatnot, only to leave them out of the final rankings because “well when it comes right down to it they didn’t play anybody” or something else directly contradicting why they put them in the top four.

No surprises really, outside of the extent to which the committee is punishing the ACC because Clemson is down. If Ohio State ever has another .500 season, an undefeated Big Ten champ will be on the outside looking in.

Kind of...: I’m one of those anti-G5 people who really doesn’t think Cincinnati is a top 4 team and doesn’t think going undefeated means that much when 9 of your games are worse than the Army/Liberty loser this week. That said, those of you who are moon-eyed and pining for Cincy to get in need to realize that they’re on target to do so. Michigan/OSU loser is out, so Cincy will hold onto #4 next week. Notre Dame is not jumping them (no 13th game/extra data point). Only way they’re out is if both Bama and B1G champ make it. But Oklahoma has been disrespected all along (rightfully so) by the committee and Oklahoma State, while playing great down the stretch, only beat Tulsa by a score (like Cincy) and needed a blocked FG to beat Boise State. Their entire non-conference performance screams “Big 12 is a fraud” and the loss is to an unranked Iowa State team. Cincinnati has the better profile.

Finally, zoom out a bit. Assume whatever wild-eyed conspiracies you have about the CFP committee are right, and they’re in the pocket of “Big Football” (which, I guess means ESPN and the SEC???). Isn’t this the exact year to throw the G5 a bone in the name of civility? Notre Dame is blocked by Cincy. Does the committee give a shit about Oklahoma State? If Oklahoma is 12-1, but THIS unimpressively, don’t you buy some future credibility by denying them a bid in favor of Cincy (credibility you can cash in a few years hence when you’re giving 9-3 Oklahoma a 4th SEC bid to the 12 team CFP?).

Go even deeper. Cincy is HEADED to the Big 12 soon. Give them a bid this year, and you help maintain the credibility of a conference losing Texas and Oklahoma. Shoring up the (future) Big 12 may be really helpful in getting CFP expansion through! Stop being so basic about this people!!!