College Football Playoff: Ohio State and Notre Dame in Over Texas A&M and Cincinnati

The College Football Playoff selection committee has made their decision and the rankings are as follows:

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame

This is honestly what I expected the committee to do. My former colleague Ty Duffy explained years ago that the committee does, within reason, what is best for their TV show. Ohio State and Notre Dame can be expected to deliver higher ratings than Texas A&M and Cincinnati. Cincinnati was ultimately also ranked behind Oklahoma (Oklahoma was no. 6, and we don't know Cincy's ranking yet).

Earlier today, Outkick founder Clay Travis said these would've been his rankings:

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Texas A&M
4. Notre Dame

Clay would have dinged Ohio State for only playing six games when Texas A&M played nine (going 8-1) and Notre Dame played 11 (going 10-1). Clay and I both predicted before the rankings were revealed that the committee would do exactly like they did.

Maybe I'm biased as a Big Ten grad but I would've included Ohio State in here as the committee did. What I would've done, however, is put Cincinnati in the fourth spot. Texas A&M already lost to Alabama by four touchdowns and Notre Dame got blown out by Clemson last night. If there were ever a time the committee could make the legitimate case to include a team from outside the power-five, that time was now with the undefeated Bearcats out of the AAC.