College Football Playoff Rankings Week 3 Exposed: Are These Teams Getting a Free Pass?

The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings for Week 3 have been released, and as expected, there are several teams that are being overvalued and undervalued by the committee. The question on everyone's mind is: what criteria is the committee using to evaluate these teams, and who is getting a free pass?

First off, let's take a look at the top four teams in the rankings: Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and Clemson. While these teams have certainly earned their spots, there are a few other teams that seem to be getting the cold shoulder from the committee.

One team that stands out as being ranked too low is Oregon. The Ducks have been on a tear lately, with a dominating win over UCLA and a come-from-behind victory over Washington State. Despite this, they find themselves at number 8 in the rankings, behind teams like Alabama and Tennessee.

Another team that seems to be getting the short end of the stick is Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been impressive all season, with a close loss to Michigan and a blowout win over Minnesota. However, they are stuck at number 14 in the rankings, behind teams like Florida State and Washington.

So what is the committee using to evaluate these teams? According to the CFP website, the committee considers several factors when ranking teams, including win-loss record, strength of schedule, performance in games against common opponents, and independent metrics like the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI). However, it's clear that the committee is also putting a lot of emphasis on conference championships and brand recognition.

For example, Alabama is ranked at number 6 despite having two losses, simply because they are in the loaded SEC West and have a strong brand. Meanwhile, teams like Oregon and Penn State, who are dominating their respective conferences, are getting overlooked.

It's also worth noting that the committee seems to be putting a lot of emphasis on early-season wins. For example, Michigan's win over Penn State in Week 1 seems to be carrying a lot of weight, despite the fact that Penn State was without their starting quarterback for most of the game.

Overall, it's clear that the CFP rankings are not just about evaluating teams based on their performance on the field. There are a lot of other factors at play, including conference affiliations, brand recognition, and early-season wins. While the committee claims to be using a comprehensive evaluation process, it's clear that some teams are getting more love than others.