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CFP rankings grades: Committee gets bad marks for Alabama, Notre Dame decisions
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- CFP rankings grades: Committee gets bad marks for Alabama, Notre Dame decisions
The College Football Playoff selection committee has submitted its final exam. How'd they grade out?
After weeks of examining and speculating who will make the playoff, the 12-team field is set . The committee has its reasons for who got in, who didn't and where teams are placed in the bracket . That doesn't mean the committee got it right, as there was going to be controversy no matter what way it went, notably in the decision between Alabama , Notre Dame and Miami.
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Who got snubbed? Who benefitted when they shouldn't have? With the bracket determined, here are the grades for the final College Football Playoff ranking.
1. Indiana : A+
The only undefeated team in the country, the Hoosiers undoubtedly deserve being the top team in the country.
2. Ohio State: C+
For much of the season, Ohio State looked like the best team in the country. A close loss in the Big Ten title game only drops it a spot, which is a generous gift from the selection committee.
3. Georgia: D+
After the dominant performance in the SEC Championship and securing a conference title, the Bulldogs proved they were worthy of being in the No. 2 spot.
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4. Texas Tech: A+
The Red Raiders dominated the season and proved why they should get a first-round bye.
5. Oregon: A
Getting the top spot among the first-round participants is the right spot for Oregon .
6. Mississippi: B+
The No. 6 spot is a highly desirable one and it could have gone to the Rebels or Texas A&M, but Ole Miss gets the nod given it has a better signature win and its lone loss came against a playoff team.
7. Texas A&M: B-
Probably still mad about dropping all the way down the No. 7, the Aggies should at least be happy they get to host a first round game.
8. Oklahoma: B
Like Texas A&M, Oklahoma gets the honor of hosting a playoff game. But the Sooners do have better wins than the Aggies and are justified to wanting to go up a spot in the seed line.
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9. Alabama: F
The Crimson Tide don't get punished for the bad performance in the SEC championship game. It doesn't make sense because the game should at least mean something, so they should have at least dropped a spot. There was a case to leave Alabama out completely, but it gets a lucky fate.
Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer gestures on the sidelines during his team's game against Georgia at the 2025 SEC championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
10. Miami: B+
The Hurricanes finally got their wish with the head-to-head comparison with Notre Dame. It's the correct way to measure the teams against each other, but how the selection committee got to that point was confusing. A deserving spot that comes with questions.
No. 11 seed (No. 20) Tulane: A-
The highest ranked Group of Five champion gets to be the 11th-seed, but Tulane did have some worse losses compared to the team seeded right behind it.
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No. 12 seed (No. 24) James Madison : B+
Rightfully in over Duke, James Madison did look more dominant throughout the season compared to Tulane. But the Dukes get in and they should be happy about that.
First team out/11. Notre Dame: D
As mentioned, it makes sense Notre Dame got bumped out for the loss against Miami. But how the Fighting Irish got moved out of the field is the frustrating part, and they have every right to be upset how this unfolded.
Second team out/12. BYU: F
BYU was going to need a conference championship to make the playoff, but the Cougars did notably move down one spot for the bad loss in the Big 12 title game. It doesn't make much sense since Alabama didn't get punished for the same reason, so why does it apply to BYU?
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13. Texas: A
The Longhorns hoped the win over Texas A&M would somehow put them in playoff consideration, but they don't get in after suffering three losses.
14. Vanderbilt: B+
A 10-win season doesn't get Vanderbilt close to the bracket, a tough break for a historic campaign. It wasn't going to be able to get past Texas.
15. Utah: A
Utah dropped down spots despite not losing another game, but the ceiling was extremely low for the Utes to push into the conversation.
16. Southern California: A-
The Trojans could only imagine what a win at Oregon would have done for their playoff hopes.
17. Arizona: A
A strong finish to the season gets the Wildcats into the No. 17 slot.
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18. Michigan: C+
It was a big drop after losing to Ohio State, but the Wolverines get to move up a spot even though they didn't play.
19. Virginia: D-
Even though it lost to a Duke team with five losses, conference championship games aren't suppose to be punishable by logic. Yet Virginia goes down two spots.
21. Houston: C+
The rise after the regular season ended was odd. At least Houston finishes behind Tulane.
22. Georgia Tech: B-
The Yellow Jackets didn't move, but they did put up a better performance against Georgia than Alabama did.
23. Iowa: F
This ranking still doesn't make sense because Iowa doesn't have any notable wins.
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25. North Texas: C+
Good on the committee for at least keeping the Mean Green ranked after a stellar 11-win season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CFP rankings grades: What committee got right, wrong with Miami, Alabama, Notre Dame
