Notre Dame No. 11, hosed while Indiana No. 4 gets benefit of doubt in college football playoff rankings

Notre Dame faces a test

Notre Dame opened at No. 11 in the selection committee’s first rankings. The team needs to finish in the final top 12 to receive an automatic playoff bid under a change to the process introduced this season.

The Fighting Irish host No. 1 Miami this weekend. A victory could lift Notre Dame, while a second loss would likely damage its playoff chances. The team’s only loss came at BYU in a game described as controversial. Chairman Hunter Yurachek said the committee was “impressed” with Notre Dame but saw no “signature win.” Last season, Notre Dame finished 10-2 after losing to Miami and Texas A&M early, then missed the playoff.

Indiana draws scrutiny

Indiana was ranked No. 4, a position that would earn a first-round bye if the playoff began immediately. The Hoosiers are 8-1, including a 5-1 record in the Big Ten, with wins over North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, Michigan and Minnesota.

The victories over Michigan and Minnesota came in overtime. Indiana’s only loss was to Ohio State, which ranked No. 12 and would be the first team out under the current standings.

The contrast with Notre Dame prompted questions about the committee’s standards. Yurachek cited strength of schedule when discussing the difference between the teams.

SEC results shape the debate

The committee placed ten SEC teams in its initial Top 25, including three-loss South Carolina and Florida. Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss, each with two losses, were in the bracket, while one-loss Georgia ranked No. 2 ahead of unbeaten Utah.

Eight SEC teams ranked above their AP Top 25 positions: Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri and South Carolina. Alabama was No. 5 after a win over one-loss Kentucky, but its three-score loss to Tennessee did not appear to weigh as heavily. The rankings thus drew questions about how the committee values victories compared with defeats, particularly for SEC teams.

Big 12 race remains open

Five Big 12 teams made the rankings: Utah at No. 3, BYU at No. 9, Texas Tech at No. 15, Houston at No. 17 and Arizona at No. 22. Under the current standings, Utah and BYU would make the playoff, with Texas Tech and Houston close behind.

BYU and Utah meet this weekend. Utah then travels to Tucson next week to play Arizona, and those games could alter the conference’s position in the rankings. The article also identifies Boise State at No. 25 as the Group of 6 representative under the current playoff picture. It says Week 10 is set to bring significant movement as teams play.