Before The Snap: What the first College Football Playoff rankings got right and wrong about the top-9 teams

Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football series where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2021 season are out, and the playoff committee got some things right, some rankings are fine and some we have a lot of questions about. Georgia and Alabama being Nos. 1 and 2 sounds about right, but after that things get a little questionable.

Sure, Michigan State beating Michigan last weekend was a big deal, but aren’t the Spartans a little high at No. 3? For Oregon at No. 4, it looks like the committee isn’t holding the Ducks’ loss to Stanford against them too much. And not only is undefeated Cincinnati not among the top-4 teams, it’s also not even No. 5. Ohio State is, while the Bearcats were snubbed in the opening rankings at No. 6.

After the College Football Playoff rankings dropped Tuesday night, Before The Snap gave its instant reactions to what the playoff committee seems to be thinking.