| Team | Record | BCS Rank | BCS Average | AP Poll | AP Avg | Coaches | Coaches Avg | Computer | Computer Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU | 9-0 | 1 | 0.9898 | 1 | 0.9949 | 1 | 0.9944 | 1 | 0.9800 |
| Ohio St | 9-0 | 2 | 0.9623 | 2 | 0.9549 | 2 | 0.9519 | 1 | 0.9800 |
| Clemson | 10-0 | 3 | 0.9139 | 3 | 0.9297 | 3 | 0.9319 | 3 | 0.8800 |
| Alabama | 8-1 | 4 | 0.7980 | 4 | 0.8465 | 4 | 0.8475 | 8 | 0.7000 |
| Oregon | 8-1 | 5 | 0.7776 | 6 | 0.7897 | 6 | 0.7931 | 6 | 0.7500 |
| Georgia | 8-1 | 6 | 0.7656 | 5 | 0.8175 | 5 | 0.8294 | 9 | 0.6500 |
| Minnesota | 9-0 | 7 | 0.7474 | 7 | 0.7510 | 7 | 0.7213 | 5 | 0.7700 |
| Penn St | 8-1 | 8 | 0.6853 | 9 | 0.6471 | 11 | 0.5888 | 4 | 0.8200 |
| Baylor | 9-0 | 9 | 0.6646 | 12 | 0.6013 | 10 | 0.6425 | 6 | 0.7500 |
| Oklahoma | 8-1 | 10 | 0.6401 | 10 | 0.6452 | 8 | 0.7050 | 10 | 0.5700 |
Unsurprisingly, we have a new #1 this week, LSU. Ohio State actually gained points this week from last, but LSU gained significantly more due to commanding the vast majority of first place votes in the human polls. The computers have the two as an even tie however. Clemson has risen up to #3 which should not shock anyone.
The next part is where it gets interesting... only 5 percentage points separate Alabama at 4 with Minnesota at 7, and you could really argue those teams in any order. However, there is a noted difference between how the computers order those next teams versus how the human polls due. The polls seem to be overvaluing Alabama and Georgia while undervaluing Minnesota, PSU, and Baylor. That Baylor also appears ahead of Oklahoma is also noteworthy.
Now, let's revisit last week's rankings and compare them to the CFP rankings and try to see what the committee might do tonight:
| Team | Record | BCS Rank | BCS Average | CFP Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio St | 8-0 | 1 | 0.9516 | 1 |
| LSU | 8-0 | 2 | 0.9455 | 2 |
| Alabama | 8-0 | 3 | 0.9263 | 3 |
| Clemson | 9-0 | 4 | 0.9024 | 5 |
| Penn St | 8-0 | 5 | 0.8601 | 4 |
| Oregon | 8-1 | 6 | 0.7573 | 7 |
| Georgia | 7-1 | 7 | 0.7096 | 6 |
| Utah | 8-1 | 8 | 0.6457 | 8 |
| Oklahoma | 7-1 | 9 | 0.6392 | 9 |
| Baylor | 8-0 | 10 | 0.6265 | 12 |
I have noted the differences between the CFP and the BCS rankings in bold above. Of particular interest is PSU being above Clemson and Georgia above Oregon. Baylor also doesn't appear in the top 10 of the CFP, but this week we had them jump Oklahoma in the BCS. Could they end up in the top 10 this week?
Personally, I think the top 3 and their order leaves no doubt, the committee ought to rank LSU, OSU, and Clemson in that order. What is left to wonder would be how do losses by Alabama and PSU compare, and where does Minnesota end up? Minnesota has to be in the top 10, and you could definitely argue top 6. The BCS computers have PSU above Minnesota still due to a much stronger schedule. It is possible the committee will do the same, which could keep them from dropping PSU too far while not having to jump Minnesota too high either. If they put Minnesota above PSU, which many will argue should be done, expect PSU's ranking to suffer as opposed to Minnesota getting the benefit.
Georgia gained ground on Oregon in the BCS, so I would expect them to continue to be ranked higher. But both will likely be ahead of Minnesota and PSU. Alabama will probably be ahead of both, but as other teams have more opportunities to add to their resumes, Alabama does not so any high ranking they have now should decline over the next few weeks. At this point, barring chaos, I don't expect Alabama to make the playoff even if they are 4 tonight.
