Georgia remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Sunday and looks like a lock to be first in the committee’s rankings Tuesday night.
Cincinnati (8-0) stayed at No. 2 in the media poll and the chances of the CFP rankings going in that direction are pretty much zero. The selection committee has never ranked a team from the Group of Five higher than No. 7 in any of its rankings.
Cincinnati started seventh last year and then proceeded to be passed in subsequent rankings, finishing eighth.
AP voters have generally treated G5 teams better than the selection committee, especially the highest ranked team from outside the Power Five. For example, last year Cincinnati moved up to sixth in the AP poll during the final few weeks of the regular season while the Bearcats were dropping — while remaining unbeaten — in the CFP rankings.
The rest of the AP’s top four this week were Alabama (7-1) at No. 3 and Oklahoma (9-0) fourth. Michigan State (8-0) replaced Ohio State (7-1) at No. 5. The Buckeyes fell to No. 6.
Twice in the last three seasons has the CFP’s first rankings had the same four teams as the preceding AP poll but with Nos. 3 and 4 flipped.
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