College Football Playoff Rankings: Think, Know, Believe On The Penultimate CFP Top 25

College Football Daily Cavalcade: What I think, what I know, and what I believe after the penultimate round of College Football Playoff Rankings.

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Daily Cavalcade on the Top 25

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Sorry if this take sucks, it’s not my fault …

Before finishing this piece – and not knowing how it would turn out – I left for LSU.

Never, EVER, let a chance to be pretentious go unused.

I think … I refuse to refer to these as the penultimate College Football rankings until the committee goes all in and calls last week’s version the antepenultimate rankings.

I know … I took four years of Latin. I averaged a rock-solid C+.

I believe … penultimate is Latin for “these don’t really matter until we know who wins the Power Five conference championships.”

I think … Notre Dame is more alive in this College Football Playoff thing than many are letting on.

I know … Brian Kelly just had to bolt for LSU a few days before knowing whether or not the team he was coaching was actually out of the College Football Playoff.

I believe … this would be an all-timer if Notre Dame had a shot to get in, but the committee left it out because its former head coach chose to go live his best life …

What a great day to be a Tiger pic.twitter.com/6h8wFTWg6g

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 1, 2021

I think … Notre Dame might be in if gets two losses this weekend between Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma State, and Cincinnati.

I know … College Football Playoff committee chairman Gary Barta pointed out that all factors are considered – like if a star quarterback gets hurt, or if a team doesn’t have its head coach.

I believe … there aren’t enough candles at the Grotto to save Brian Kelly with the fan base if his early departure costs the Irish a College Football Playoff spot.

I think … Brian Kelly left for LSU to try to win a national championship.

I know … it was for gobs and gobs of money, too.

I believe … YOU DON’T LEAVE FOR ANOTHER JOB when the team you just led through the season has a shot at being two wins away from winning a national championship.

I think … defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman could step in and do the job if needed.

I know … no one would sell Notre Dame better over that lobbying period after the conference championships and before the final rankings are announced on Sunday morning.

I believe … Notre Dame would all of a sudden become America’s team to root for if it’s in without its head coach.

I think … Oklahoma State is fine at 5.

I know … if it beats No. 9 Baylor, that would make it two top ten wins – Oklahoma was 10 last week – to close out the season.

I believe … 12-1 Big 12 Champion Oklahoma State is in over Cincinnati if Alabama beats Georgia.

I think … this is easy peasy if Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC Championship.

I know … Georgia would get the 1, Michigan would be the 2 if that goes to plan.

I believe … Alabama is out. Maybe.

I think … the committee and the College Football Playoff types would love nothing more than for Oklahoma State to play in AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

I know … the committee doesn’t think about location when it does its rankings … really.

I believe … Oklahoma State jumps Cincinnati to the 3 if wins the Big 12 Championship, and it’s a no-brainer if it beats Baylor in a blowout.

I think … we’re WAY overdue for something wacky to happen.

I know … we have yet to have a monster upset in one of the significant conference championships in the College Football Playoff era.

I believe … the College Football Playoff won’t somehow be Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State when I see it.

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Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Bowl Projections | Bowl Eligible Teams

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I think … Ohio State at the 7 is a big deal.

I know … Iowa is in the Rose Bowl if it beats Michigan.

I believe … unless Alabama beats Georgia, Michigan still has a decent shot of getting in if loses to Iowa tastefully.

I think … it’ll be fascinating how this all plays out, because …

I know … Oklahoma State is up first on Saturday. Everyone else will know what they need to do after the early Big 12 Championship.

I believe … Oklahoma State is going to secure a spot by about 3:30 ET on Saturday, and then the pressure is on.

I think … Cincinnati will know it needs to be impressive against Houston.

I know … Houston is good enough to win the American Athletic Conference Championship.

I believe … Cincinnati will win, but beating the No. 21 team won’t be enough to overcome Oklahoma State beating the No. 9 team.

I think … I’m totally torn on Georgia-Alabama.

I know … Auburn had the chance to kill the zombie, and it didn’t do it.

I believe … Alabama is deadly when it can do the Nobody Believes In Us thing.

I think … Iowa can’t come close to beating Michigan unless Iowa forces at least three turnovers.

I know … Michigan will turn the ball over three times.

I believe … Iowa doesn’t have enough of an offense to take advantage of the three turnovers.

I think … about 12 people are going to watch the ACC Championship because …

I know … it’s on at the same time as the Big Ten Championship.

I believe … Pitt vs Wake Forest might be the most entertaining game of the weekend.

I think … on Sunday it’s going to be 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. Oklahoma State, 4. Cincinnati.

I know … it’s not going to be quite that easy.

I believe … Alabama will somehow be a part of this, just because.

I think … I know it’s all going to be okay.

I know … I believe it’s all going to be okay.

I believe … I think it’s all going to be okay.

Rankings AP | Coaches | CFN 1-130 Rankings
Bowl Projections | Bowl Bubble