Arizona State celebrates its rise to No. 21 in the CFP rankings, marking the program’s first appearance, with quarterback Sean Leavitt leading the charge. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – Defeat Kansas State? Check.
Land in the College Football Playoff rankings? Check.
The CFP committee placed Arizona State at No. 21 in the third ranking of the year Tuesday, its first appearance since the inaugural year in 2014 as they continue their improbable run at 8-2.
“They had a convincing win against Kansas State, who was ranked last week by us,” said Warde Manuel, the CFP chair and Michigan athletic director. “We felt the team deserved (their ranking) based on what they’ve done.”
The committee could have ranked the Sun Devils even higher, since a large group of teams toward the bottom feel pretty close together. What could have separated the Sun Devils, outside of the Kansas State win last week, was the absence of quarterback Sam Leavitt in their “worst” loss, a 10-point defeat in Cincinnati.
When asked if that was a factor in their ranking, Manuel said, “It was part of the discussion.”
It didn’t feel as if it affected much, though, as the discrepancy between ASU and conference foe Colorado, which checked in at No. 16, was noticeable despite similar resumes. The Buffaloes’ signature win would probably be their victory over Texas Tech, a team that beat the Sun Devils, but that equals out with ASU’s win over Kansas State, which beat Colorado just over a month ago. The Buffaloes also fell to Nebraska (5-5) by 18 at the start of the year, when they had quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter active.
The Sun Devils have put themselves in a good situation with just two weeks to play. Wins in their last two games would likely mean a trip to Dallas for the Big 12 championship game.
The team that stands in their way first, though, might gripe with the rankings again this week. BYU (9-1), which travels to Tempe Saturday in a Big 12-deciding matchup, dropped eight spots to No. 14 after a loss to Kansas (4-6). The unexpected part, though, is the Cougars were one spot behind SMU (9-1), despite beating the Mustangs on Sept. 6 in Dallas.
It’s not the first time the committee ignored head-to-head competition to rank the game’s loser higher, as it did the same thing last week with South Carolina and LSU. BYU also has more ranked wins than SMU does.
With the Cougars slipping down the rankings, a roar could be heard from the blue turf in Idaho, as Boise State (9-1) looks poised to snag a first-round bye. Although the Broncos remain ranked at No. 12, landing ahead of the Big 12 leaders speaks to what the committee thinks of them. Their only loss on the year remains a three-point defeat to the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks (11-0) in Eugene.
If chaos continues in the Big 12, as it has all year, the Broncos could secure one of the top four spots, which means a bye, and the Big 12 winner will be sent on the road in the first round.
It’s hard to go anywhere on the internet the past week without stumbling across a debate about Indiana, still ranked No. 5, or the clump of two-loss SEC teams. No. 7 Alabama seems to have separated a bit, having No. 8 Miami in between the Crimson Tide and their conference mates as a buffer, but No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee, all 8-2, are muddied in a larger discussion.
As many prepare for the anticipated No. 2 Ohio State versus No. 5 Indiana matchup this weekend in Columbus, many wonder whether a loss this week could knock Indiana below those SEC foes in the next rankings. Indiana seeks its first ranked win of the season in its first opportunity, while the SEC teams are averaging three each at this point in the season.
“It’s like splitting hairs,” Manuel said.
The other significant game this weekend is No. 19 Army (9-0) against No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) in Yankee Stadium. The undefeated Black Knights are struggling to move up the rankings with a very easy schedule, but a win over the Fighting Irish would certainly catapult them up, even into the conversation with the Big 12 and Boise State for a conference bid if they finished undefeated.
The Irish are rolling as of late, though, brushing off the baffling early-season loss to Northern Illinois in what now looks like an anomaly. They have posted a 31.4-point average margin of victory over the last five games.
In a year of chaos, the timing is ideal to introduce a 12-team playoff. Twenty-plus teams remain in contention for a shot at the CFP, including the Sun Devils, who still have everything right in front of them.
