Baylor Rises to #8 in CFB Playoff Rankings

This week’s College Football Playoff Rankings are in the process of being revealed as we speak, and your Baylor Bears have climbed all the way to the #8 spot, the highest among 2-loss teams in the country and two ahead of Oklahoma, who plays #7 Oklahoma State this weekend in Bedlam.

Importantly for the future of our conference, BYU came in just outside the top-10 at #12, and Cincinnatti finally climbed into the ranks of the top-4 at #4 behind Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama 1-3. Michigan is #5, and Notre Dame is #6. Once again, for my part I would put Oklahoma State above both of those teams, but they will get their chance to make statements in back-to-back weeks against OU and either OU or Baylor, although if they play OU a second time, they are effectively out of Playoff contention (unless it is because we lost to Tech, in which case they would also suffer because OU would fall after the first loss).

ESPN is currently talking about OSU’s potential path to the Playoff and seems to be giving it short shrift, but I disagree given what they have before them. Their best-case scenario involves two wins over current top-10 teams in Oklahoma and Baylor, and they would finish 12-1 with a Big 12 Championship in that scenario. Assume Alabama loses to Georgia, Ohio State wins out, and Cincy wins out. You really think Alabama belongs in that top-4 over Oklahoma State? I don’t.

But we’re celebrating the Baylor Bears here, which are #8 going into this Saturday’s game against Texas Tech and need a win there and a OSU win over OU to make the Big 12 Championship.