Reactions to the Latest Playoff Rankings

When the latest round of the college football playoff rankings came out the initial reaction is that finally Washington is in the spot they belong, in the fourth spot ahead of Ohio State and Louisville. Two teams with one loss, just like the Aggies, who got the bump. However, the Huskies are not the only team that represent the PAC-12 in the top 25.

Colorado comes in at 12, Utah at 15, USC at 20 and Washington State falls in at 23 to give the PAC-12 five teams in the top 25. Colorado and Utah both have close losses to top four teams that clearly have kept these teams inside the top 15 with their losses. USC and Washington State break into the back of the rankings, the real surprise being a USC team that has come out of nowhere to get back into the top 25.

The two big takeaways are first: That losses to a top four or five program do not hurt your rank, even if you are a small program outside the public eye. In fact, if you make it close it barely counts against you. Colorado is a perfect example as they garnered two losses but one was a close game to Michigan. This helps an under the radar team stay in the top 12. The second: USC is back and respected by the committee. The have been red hot since promoting Sam Darnold and now they slide all their chips into the middle of the table this weekend against Washington. For fans of the PAC-12 being represented in the playoffs, cheer for the Huskies. For those who enjoy the traditional powers, cheer for the Trojans.

The promising news is for those who think the conference is disrespected, think again as the teams from the conference are all over the top 25. This is a good year for the conference, just some different teams representing at the top.