Memo to College Football Playoff ranking committee: Ole Miss is everything Texas isn’t

Let’s look at this thing strictly from what happened on the field. A novel idea, I know.

Texas beat Arkansas 20-10 Saturday in Fayetteville, an uninspiring effort that continued to underscore the Longhorns’ slog to the top of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Two weeks ago, in the same stadium against the same Arkansas team, Ole Miss humiliated the Hogs 63-31. A week ago, Ole Miss embarrassed big, bad Georgia by 18.

Yet if you looked at the current CFP rankings, the gap between Texas and Ole Miss is as wide as Florida State’s dreams of joining the Big Ten and reality.

And this is the problem with the playoff rankings — and more specifically, the selection committee that clearly abides by the rule of he who loses less, gains more.

Look at the Texas schedule, there’s nothing there. No signature win, no impressive run of games or undeniable statement that proves the Longhorns deserve their No. 3 ranking.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers celebrates after a first down against Arkansas during the first half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Then there’s Ole Miss, and in the CFP committee’s eyes, it’s clearly more than the beatdown of Georgia that leaves the Rebels at No. 11 in the poll. And by more, I don’t mean the 24-point win at the hottest team in the SEC (South Carolina).

By more, I mean losses. Ole Miss its has two, Texas has one.

Wait, it gets better.

Texas lost at home to Georgia — the same team Ole Miss handed its worst regular-season loss since 2018 — where it was 23-0 in the second quarter before Texas could exhale. Where coach Steve Sarkisian was so flustered, he benched starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Quinn Ewers, and by the third quarter, both Ewers and Arch Manning wanted no part of the Georgia defense.

Ole Miss lost at home to…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/memo-college-football-playoff-ranking-233303221.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-16 23:33:03

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