First-look CFP rankings: Rocky Top on top while Big Blue is singing the blues

It’s really hard to tell how much value is placed on early season strength of schedule. Michigan’s non-conference got it knocked out of the top four, UGA’s win over the Ducks was more impressive than Ohio State’s close game against Notre Dame, yet they’re flip-flopped, and I guess Brian Kelly’s loss in his debut against Florida State was a throwaway.

How many spots could LSU jump with a victory over Bama on Saturday? If the Tigers beat the No. 6 team in the country, are they better than a couple of one-loss Pac-12 teams? I don’t know. They got smashed by Tennessee at home, and FSU was 1-3 in the month of October with the only triumph over Georgia Tech and its interim coach.

Only one team has kept a contest of manhood against Jim Harbaugh’s squad in single digits, and that Maryland game wasn’t as close as the final indicated. The Wolverines have the fifth-best rushing attack in the country, and second among power five schools. The defense is allowing 11 points per game, and Michigan beat then-No. 10 Penn State by 24.

Of course, the Wolverines’ out-of-conference schedule was atrocious, and they’ve only played one of the three other Big Ten teams in the Top 25. They’ll obviously get their shot at Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend, but will have a chance to boost their standing the week prior with a game against upstart No. 16 Illinois. Between this placement and the brawl with Michigan State last weekend, god help Rutgers on Saturday.

Chip Kelly’s team potentially has two games against top nine schools left in No. 9 USC on Nov. 19 and the Pac-12 title game if they beat the Trojans. A rematch on a neutral field against Oregon would be a helluva game considering the fireworks we saw in Eugene between the two squads and a couple of bounces (and a surprise onside kick) here or there that separated them.

While they’d need help ahead of them with losses, the entire top 10 has outside of TCU and possibly Clemson has games versus fellow top 10 teams remaining. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet are one of the most lethal duos in the country, and the Bruins have more than enough skill players around them to make noise.

This is the first iteration of the standings before a couple of handfuls of cocaine and a few rounds of Russian roulette get introduced, so at first glance, all of the 12 teams are worthy entries. However, the highest-ranked non-power five school gets an automatic bid, which means No. 19 Tulane would leapfrog seven schools — and their outraged supporters — for the right to get blasted by No. 5 Michigan in the opening round.

There’s already a two-loss program ahead of one-loss Illinois and North Carolina, and this rhyme and reasons for the dozen squads that make it are going to be as subjective as people’s top 12 favorite rappers.

Best of luck, CFP committee. I’m glad it’s not me.