Picks
Kirk Herbstreit: No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 2 Alabama, No. 1 Clemson
Joey Galloway: No. 4 Baylor, No. 3 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 1 Ohio State
Danny Kanell: No. 4 Alabama, No. 3 Baylor, No. 2 Clemson, No. 1 Ohio State
Quotes
On the bottom of the rankings
KH: We are seeing a reaction from the committee based on results of games, and I think the big thing we cannot predict is what potentially happens to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
JG: Florida, who actually won in a very ugly game, fell one spot from 10 to 11. I think that is going to be important moving forward as Florida is coming out of the east and will have a chance to make a statement in the SEC Championship game.
DK: Four teams from the American Conference in the top 25, I think this conference needs to get a little love. They are probably going to be the ones on the outside looking in… They need some attention and they need some respect.
On the top six teams
KH: Their [Iowa] fan base maybe got a hold of the committee because they have been very frustrated with a lot of people not giving this team the recognition they deserve. For Iowa this is huge news… If Iowa wins out, they will be one of the four teams; it is as simple as that.
KH: Notre Dame, if they win out, how is anybody going to get by Notre Dame. This is not great news for the Big 12, based on what I am looking.
DK: The Big 12 is so back-loaded; they will have so many opportunities… Kudos to the committee, I actually applaud them for rewarding a team [Iowa] for running the table, regardless of their schedule.
JG: If they [Big 12] felt disrespected last week, they definitely feel disrespected this week with their undefeated team being jumped.
KH: That Notre Dame team, because everything they have been through [injuries]… it is hard for me to imagine, now that the committee has put them at No. 4, they keep winning games, including Stanford at the end of the year, I would not want to be behind Notre Dame with four weeks to go.
KH: If Notre Dame wins out, based on what they have already done and what they have left to play, that will leave the Pac-12 and potentially the Big 12 on the outside looking in.
Paul Finebaum
On Baylor
I started thinking about it like everyone else, and Oklahoma State to me, should have been in the top four. They have one of the most impressive wins of this college football season over TCU.
Closing thoughts
JG: Iowa moving to No. 5. Nothing says you’re doing your homework more than moving Iowa, a team that many people in the country have seen play. It says the committee is sitting down and studying these football teams.
DK: You heard Jeff Long say tonight, expect volatile movement. He wasn’t talking about the play on the field, he was talking about in that room and the way they vote and re-vote.
Jeff Long interview
Rankings five through eight range
It wouldn’t take much to change the order there, it is very close, and we had re-votes in that area… It is the area that is most volatile, so upcoming opportunities for those teams will really make a difference.
On Iowa
Iowa has shown consistent improvement and consistency on both sides of the ball. They have a couple of victories on the road in the Big Ten that have been impressive and they have the overall SOS for the undefeated teams, other than Clemson.
On Big 12 schedule
It is really hard to judge those teams, and at this point in the season that is why you see Baylor where they are at even though they won a game… The committee has a difficult time evaluating those teams who have not had significant victories, haven’t won games over better than .500 teams.
Baylor Art Briles
On being No. 6
It is still early in the process, we understand our schedule is back-loaded, we are going to have a chance to make some noise, but we are going to have to work for that noise.
On back-loaded schedule
I guess it is pretty good marketing; it is taking a chance and really on how teams are going to come out as the season goes along.
Extra Hits from Studio
Biggest surprise compared to Week 1
JG: Iowa at No. 5. It is not that they are ranked that high; it is that they are ahead Baylor. Baylor was ahead of Iowa last week, so what changed in this past week… considering both had sound wins?
DK: Iowa at the No. 5 spot, and I like that they are ranked that high. I applaud the committee for rewarding a team that wins. They might not have a Heisman candidate or a first rounder on the defensive side of the ball, but they have a complete team.
Most undervalued team
JG: Florida at No. 11. They have one loss, which was to a top 10 team on a road. And, despite it being ugly, they did win this week and still dropped down a spot.
DK: North Carolina at No. 23. They have won eight games in a row, have a dynamic quarterback and they could play the role of spoiler in the ACC Championship game. If that happens, then — if they are a one-loss ACC Champ — they would still need help to get into the [top 4], but who knows.
The rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 17, will be revealed live from the United Center in Chicago, host to the annual State Farm Champions Classic basketball event. At approximately 9:30 p.m. in between the night’s two matchups, Davis will be joined by Herbstreit, Galloway and David Pollack to announce the latest College Football Playoff rankings in a special on-site edition of College Football Playoff: Top 25.
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