It’s easy to get too high or too low after each week’s results in college football. Such is the nature of the sport that breeds emotional responses based on what happens positively or negatively every Saturday.
That’s why we’re here. A step back from the action can provide perspective that rightfully will temper some of the misplaced enthusiasm from positive performances and lift up those feeling down in the dumps after negative results from the weekend.
Week 10 had plenty of examples on both sides of the coin. Here are the five biggest overreactions from the action on the field.
The first playoff rankings determine the future
It’s always important to remember that there are 12 or 13 data points for teams when the committee makes its final determination of the playoff field. When the first rankings were released, most teams had only eight. That leaves one third of the season – often with the biggest games – yet to be factored in.
So when you saw Oregon ahead of Ohio State in the No. 3 spot, that didn’t mean the head-to-head result is always going to keep the Ducks ahead on Dec. 5. How you perform each week will have a big factor in how you are ranking in the next release. So, don’t be surprised if there is some movement among the teams that won with Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State and Cincinnati all having close games in the fourth quarter. That could mean a boost for Michigan, which was impressive against Indiana and Oklahoma, which was idle.
FIVE OBSERVATIONS: Cincinnati’s week to forget, but long losing streaks end
HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and loser from Week 10 in college football
The Big Ten East winner will make the playoff
Story continues
That’s the running expectation with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State each with one loss. There’s a lot of football left in the final three weeks before the conference title game…
..
