The official rankings have been released, but does anyone think they’re legitimate? After watching the National Championship Demolition last night, can one really say that Notre Dame is better than Texas A&M, the team that beat Alabama, or Georgia, who was yards away from doing so?
Certainly, Notre Dame’s program is on the right track, but being a legitimate Top-10 team next year is more realistic until they show they can deliver more solid victories, like their victories over Oklahoma and Stanford.
While Alabama proved they are leagues ahead of Notre Dame, Oregon may have provided better competition, like Texas A&M and Georgia did against the Crimson Tide. As Cecil Hurt, of TideSports.com, declared, “Alabama’s win over Notre Dame on Monday night was epic. Historic. And an afterthought.”
Alabama had already played, or was prevented from playing, their toughest competition.
Texas A&M and Alabama could come out in the top-two spots next season. But that is unlikely, given they are in the same division and play each other in September. Ohio State and Michigan almost convinced everyone they were one and two and should play a second time for the title a few years ago, and then the country discovered that Florida was much better.
The SEC champions should be expected to be the favorite for their eight consecutive title, but they will need to prove it on the field of play against Oregon, Stanford, or any other team that emerges as the best non-SEC team next season, before the four-team playoff format takes place in 2014.
Here are my final rankings for this past season:
1 Alabama 13-1
2 Texas A&M 11-2
3 Oregon 12-1
4 Georgia 12-2
5 Ohio State 12-0
6 Stanford 12-2
7 South Carolina 11-2
8 Florida State 12-2
9 Notre Dame 12-1
10 Louisville 11-2
11 Clemson 11-2
12 Florida 11-2
13 Kansas State 11-2
14 LSU 10-3
15 Oklahoma 10-3
16 Northwestern 10-3
17 Vanderbilt 9-4
18 Texas 9-4
19 Oregon State 9-4
20 Nebraska 10-4
21 Penn State 8-4
22 Northern Illinois 12-2
23 Michigan 8-5
24 Utah State 11-2
25 Baylor 8-5
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