The College Football Playoff committee has a peculiar way of ranking teams. If you're not from the Power Four conferences or Notre Dame, your wins are merely a testament to the team's overall strength rather than your individual performance. This is especially evident in the latest rankings, where an unbeaten Big Ten team remains at No. 1 despite having only one conference win.
Notre Dame, ranked ninth, has benefited from this system as long as it continues to win. The committee has "forgotten" its recent back-to-back losses and views the Fighting Irish as a complete team. With a golden record of wins over the past seven games by an average margin of 26.1 points, Notre Dame is almost guaranteed a top-eight spot.
However, this ranking system can quickly turn against you if you stumble at the wrong time. Mack Rhoades, the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee, has just stepped down as both the CFP chairman and athletic director at Baylor due to personal reasons. This abrupt change serves as a reminder that fortunes in college football can shift rapidly.
The upcoming matchup between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh presents an intriguing test for both teams. The Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi views this game as a "trap" and believes his team will struggle against the Fighting Irish's superior size, strength, and speed. However, Pitt has won five straight games in the ACC, scoring 48 points or more in each contest.
Irish coach Marcus Freeman downplays the idea of a trap game, emphasizing that it's a genuine challenge for his team. The College GameDay operation hasn't picked up its broadcast near Acrisure Stadium due to expecting a lopsided victory.
Ultimately, the Irish are expected to win 34-24, with many predicting a more competitive game than what the final score suggests. This matchup serves as a stark reminder of how quickly college football fortunes can change and how difficult it is for teams outside the Power Four conferences to succeed.
On the Week 12 picks front, there's only one outright loss predicted: Texas against Georgia. The other matchups present interesting challenges and opportunities for upsets. Alabama takes on Oklahoma in a game that could see the Sooners' season come to an end. UCLA, ranked No. 31, faces off against top-ranked Ohio State in what promises to be a high-stakes showdown.
Notre Dame, ranked ninth, has benefited from this system as long as it continues to win. The committee has "forgotten" its recent back-to-back losses and views the Fighting Irish as a complete team. With a golden record of wins over the past seven games by an average margin of 26.1 points, Notre Dame is almost guaranteed a top-eight spot.
However, this ranking system can quickly turn against you if you stumble at the wrong time. Mack Rhoades, the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee, has just stepped down as both the CFP chairman and athletic director at Baylor due to personal reasons. This abrupt change serves as a reminder that fortunes in college football can shift rapidly.
The upcoming matchup between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh presents an intriguing test for both teams. The Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi views this game as a "trap" and believes his team will struggle against the Fighting Irish's superior size, strength, and speed. However, Pitt has won five straight games in the ACC, scoring 48 points or more in each contest.
Irish coach Marcus Freeman downplays the idea of a trap game, emphasizing that it's a genuine challenge for his team. The College GameDay operation hasn't picked up its broadcast near Acrisure Stadium due to expecting a lopsided victory.
Ultimately, the Irish are expected to win 34-24, with many predicting a more competitive game than what the final score suggests. This matchup serves as a stark reminder of how quickly college football fortunes can change and how difficult it is for teams outside the Power Four conferences to succeed.
On the Week 12 picks front, there's only one outright loss predicted: Texas against Georgia. The other matchups present interesting challenges and opportunities for upsets. Alabama takes on Oklahoma in a game that could see the Sooners' season come to an end. UCLA, ranked No. 31, faces off against top-ranked Ohio State in what promises to be a high-stakes showdown.
! Like seriously how can they rank teams based on their entire season's performance when it's basically just a bunch of wins and losses? And don't even get me started on Notre Dame, like they've had TWO L losses and the committee is already over them? 
But at the same time I feel for them, they're still killing it on the field with those crazy 26.1 point wins.
. But then again, this is just how it works in college football and we have to adapt.
. Like Mack Rhoades stepping down as CFP chairman due to personal reasons? That's like a sudden storm cloud over the entire season. And now Notre Dame vs Pittsburgh? This game has all the makings of a trap, but I still think the Irish are gonna come out on top 34-24 and it's gonna be way more competitive than we think 
. Ugly Mondays are just around the corner...
, so if pitt can pull off an upset, that'd be awesome!
. And can we talk about the unpredictability of college football? One week, you're on top; the next, you're struggling. The committee change also raises questions about the stability of the rankings system 
.
! If you're not part of the Power Four or Notre Dame, your wins don't count as much 
. It's like they forgot that teams are made up of individuals too 
. 
. Like, fortunes can shift in an instant 
. And now we got this big game between Notre Dame and Pitt 
. I'm thinking the Irish will take it 34-24 
but Irish defense is strong 
, while UCLA vs Ohio State is like a dream matchup 
. But hey, upsets happen and it's all part of the fun 
.
. And then there are games like this one, where you love to see a team give it their all, even if the odds aren't in their favor 
!