Auburn football has gone 6-2 so far this season, and they still control their destiny on the way to the college football playoffs. Though the road to a title is no easy one for the Tigers, they’re out for blood in the last four games on the schedule.
With the playoffs just around the corner, the selection committee released their first official CFP rankings, which included seven SEC teams: Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Kentucky. A wild season of football brought some unexpected shifts in power up until now, and we can expect to see the rankings shaken up again before the end of the season.
The Georgia Bulldogs were the obvious #1 seed for the committee, but a lot of people were unhappy to see a one-loss Alabama take the #2 spot. The undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats hold the #2 spot in the AP poll, but their CFP ranking was #6. Clearly, the Tide’s reputation precedes them yet again.
Alabama at #2 in the CFP?
— Auburn A-A-Ron (@SarcasmAndMore) November 3, 2021
You think CFP committee members get their Bama gear for free or just get a big discount.
Great wins over Florida, Miami and Tennessee. 😂
Meanwhile, Texas A&M fans were outraged that their team was stuck behind #13 Auburn at the #14 spot in the CFP rankings. Aggies argue that if Alabama gets to be #2 with their loss to TAMU, then the Aggies should get to be ranked higher by the committee, too, per fellow FanSided blog Gig ‘Em Gazette:
"According to these rankings, Texas A&M has the best win in college football — that’s undeniable. They beat the highest-ranked one-loss team, giving them the best win in the game. They are one of two teams that have proven that they can beat a top-four team.I ask this question — how can you rank Auburn higher than A&M? The only rational answer here is to say that Auburn’s losses are not as bad, but are their wins as good? This isn’t a rhetorical question; the answer is no."
However, both of Texas A&M football’s losses are to conference opponents in Mississippi State and Arkansas. Auburn football’s losses are to teams that were at the time ranked #2 and #10. TAMU may have “better wins” but the Tigers have better losses.
The rankings will undoubtedly change after another weekend of college football, but for now, everyone will have to be satisfied with where their team landed.