The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday, setting the tone for the final month of the 2017 regular season.
That also kick-starts some fantastic arguments about which teams deserve to be ranked, and where. Only five unbeaten teams remain in the FBS, and that includes two teams from the same conference.
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Do the first set of rankings matter? Let's look back at the top four teams to start from the last three years (*denotes team made playoff).
2014: Mississippi State, *Florida State, Auburn, Ole Miss
2015: Clemson*, LSU, Ohio State, Alabama*
2016: Alabama*, Clemson*, Oklahoma, Florida State
One third of the teams initially ranked made it in, so it's clear we have a long way to go — and a lot of arguing to do. Here are six things we're going to argue this week (and probably beyond).
SEC vs. the world
Alabama and Georgia are going to be No. 1 and No. 2 in the first set of rankings, and that's going to kick-start all the narratives. It's either SEC dominance or SEC bias depending on your zip code, and some of the arguments will stray from that point. Both teams are outstanding — and on a collision course for the SEC championship game (one the conference could use after watching the Crimson Tide win the last three in blowout fashion). Right now, these are the two best teams in the FBS.
Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Ohio State will likely be in the top four of the first set rankings after a thrilling 39-38 victory against Penn State on Saturday, but where will the Sooners be? They have the same number of losses as the Buckeyes, and won at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 9. Despite a loss to Iowa State (that looks better with each week), the Sooners likely won't be in the top four. The AP Poll has had no issue doing that either, though it will be interesting to hear the College Football Playoff committee's explanation. This could develop into the most heated argument of the month, if it hasn't already.
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Notre Dame vs. ACC
We're interested to see where the committee puts the Fighting Irish, and we think it's going to be in the top four. What will the ACC think about that, especially if defending national champion Clemson is on the outside looking in? Notre Dame still has two games against ACC opponents remaining, including a huge showdown with Miami. If the Irish get in the College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record — with the help of the ACC no less — then it will be interesting to see how loudly people start calling for Notre Dame to join a conference as a full member.
Wisconsin and Miami vs. one-loss teams
The Badgers and Hurricanes are the other remaining Power 5 teams, and it won't be a surprise when both teams are slotted outside the top four despite their records. Miami's string of close games and Wisconsin's strength of schedule will be cited, and the perception that both teams would be underdogs in their respective conference championship games is out there. The Hurricanes can silence some doubters by beating Virginia Tech in prime time on Saturday, and Wisconsin just needs to stay the unbeaten course to Indianapolis. These teams can still play their way in, but they won't get the benefit of the doubt like some one-loss teams. Speaking of which. ...
MORE: Penn State's loss hurts now, and will hurt worse later
One-loss debates
That list of Power 5 schools with one loss includes: Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Washington. Notre Dame also is in that mix. The finger-pointing about “which loss is best” is always great on the outside, but how will the committee handle those discussions? It'll be interesting to see where they position Penn State, which has the best chance to finish with one loss and not play in a conference championship game (given the head-to-head loss to the Buckeyes). Keep an eye on where the Nittany Lions are positioned.
UCF vs. G5 perception
Scott Frost has led Central Florida to a 7-0 record in the American Athletic Conference, but the Knights would still be a long shot to reach the College Football Playoff. Keep an eye on where they start in the rankings: It should be the highest ranking to start for a Group of 5 school. Boise State wasn't in the top 25 in 2014, Houston opened at No. 25 in 2015 and Western Michigan was No. 23 last season. It's a talking point at least.
