Crain & Cone BREAKING: New College Football Playoff Ranking Instant Reaction
Dec 3, 2025
The latest College Football Playoff ranking ignites passionate debates about Texas's controversial positioning over Vanderbilt. Is the committee influenced by brand over performance? Alabama's surprising leap past Notre Dame raises eyebrows regarding playoff implications. Discussion heats up around Miami and BYU's head-to-head records. The importance of committee metrics comes into play as Ole Miss climbs the rankings. Meanwhile, scenarios unfold for G5 teams and the impact of championship week is previewed.
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Why Texas Jumped Vanderbilt
- The committee favored Texas over Vanderbilt because Texas had a stronger strength of schedule and a head-to-head win.
- Jake Crain emphasizes record gaps only justify jumps when SOS is within ~20 spots.
Alabama Move Signals Confidence
- The committee flipped Alabama ahead of Notre Dame after a heated debate despite no head-to-head result.
- David Cone interprets that move as a signal Alabama is essentially locked into the playoff.
Don't Penalize Extra Championship Games
- Treat conference championship games as non-punitive when ranking teams who played extra top opponents.
- Jake Crain argues you shouldn't penalize teams for an extra tough championship game.