Penn State Faces Minimal Penalty in First College Football Playoff Rankings Despite Loss to Ohio State.
The College Football Playoff committee released the first rankings of the 12-team era on Tuesday, and despite a loss to Ohio State, James Franklin’s 7-1 Penn State Nittany Lions were still ranked No. 6 in the nation.
With only five teams remaining unbeaten heading into Week 10, and many other contenders already with a single loss, the unbeaten teams were not given preferential treatment in the rankings, and Penn State did not face significant consequences for its defeat.
Before the rankings, Penn State was ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, just ahead of Ohio State, who was No. 4. While it was expected that a loss wouldn’t severely harm the Nittany Lions, it was surprising that teams like 9-0 Indiana (No. 8) and 8-0 BYU (No. 9) didn’t rank higher.
Penn State is currently the fourth-highest ranked one-loss team, trailing No. 2 Ohio State (whose only loss is to No. 1 Oregon), No. 3 Georgia (who lost only to No. 11 Alabama), and No. 5 Texas (whose lone defeat came against No. 3 Georgia).
Penn State’s best wins are against West Virginia (currently 4-4 in the middle of the Big 12 standings), Illinois (who has fallen to 6-3 after a loss to Minnesota), and USC (which is 4-5 and struggling in Big Ten play).
These victories are not likely to impress the committee, meaning that Penn State’s ranking is more a reflection of its brand and preseason expectations than the actual quality of its wins. As a result, teams like Indiana and BYU may have been overlooked despite their undefeated records.
Indiana’s record is similarly unimpressive, with victories over teams like Florida International, Western Illinois, and Charlotte. However, they have won every game by at least 14 points and even defeated Washington with a backup quarterback. While their resume may not be full of marquee wins, shouldn’t an undefeated Big Ten team take priority over a one-loss Penn State team?
BYU, on the other hand, has earned notable victories, including a dominant 38-9 win over Kansas State and a triumph over an SMU team now ranked No. 13. Despite this, Penn State remains ahead of BYU in the rankings.
While I understand that Penn State benefits from its established reputation, the committee’s rankings seem flawed if they place the Nittany Lions ahead of both Indiana and BYU.
These rankings should reflect the body of work and results on the field, not preconceived notions about a team’s potential. If Indiana is truly not as competitive as Penn State, that will become clear when they face Ohio State in a few weeks, and the committee can adjust rankings afterward.
The same logic applies to BYU, but the Cougars lead the Big 12, putting them in contention for a top-four spot as long as they maintain a slim lead over Boise State.
The first College Football Playoff rankings seemed overly predictive. While I accepted the committee’s move to place Alabama ahead of Florida State last season, given the Seminoles’ struggles without Jordan Travis, this year’s rankings should have been more focused on the actual results.
With a 12-team playoff now in place, the emphasis on regular-season outcomes should be even greater. If the No. 4 team loses to No. 23, the committee should simply adjust based on new information rather than trying to forecast what the final rankings will look like in a month.