"With the exception of teams that will play for their respective conference championship games, the résumés are complete. While there will likely be some shuffling as a result of what happens in the conference championship games, the fifth and penultimate ranking on Tuesday night will be the best indicator all season of which teams should feel comfortable heading into Selection Day -- and who might need some help."
"Why they could be here: This is where the selection committee has had the Buckeyes in each of its first four rankings, and beating No. 15 Michigan is only going to further cement their place at the top. It was only Ohio State's second win against a CFP top 25 opponent, along with the season-opening win against Texas, but the committee has been wowed by Ohio State's talent and consistent dominance."
"Why they could be lower: It wouldn't make sense for the committee to drop the Buckeyes after beating a ranked rival on the road when Indiana defeated a 2-10 Purdue team, 56-3. Following the Texas A&M loss to Texas on Friday night, though, Indiana entered Saturday ranked No. 1 in ESPN's Strength of Record metric, but Ohio State was No. 1 in Game Control. The Buckeyes have the lowest schedule strength (No. 54) of the top contenders except Texas Tech (No. 57)."
Alabama's penalty-laden win over Auburn preserved its SEC title-game berth and kept its playoff hopes alive. During Rivalry Week, 11 of the committee's top 12 teams won, leaving Texas A&M as the only projected drop. With most résumés complete except for teams in conference championship games, the fifth ranking on Tuesday will serve as the clearest indicator of Selection Day positioning. Ohio State remains positioned atop the projections after beating Michigan and showing consistent dominance, though its relatively low schedule strength is a noted weakness. An undefeated Ohio State still has strong chances to finish in the top four even with a title-game loss.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]