D Poll: Week 11 (2024)
Ranking the top 25 in college football, one wacky result at a time.
Last week's D Poll was a bit feisty. I was trying to make a statement to the Associated Press about its ridiculous rankings. The message didn't seem to get through.
With the dawn of November comes the start of the College Football Playoff rankings. These polls, which will be released every Tuesday until the end of the regular season, are rich with controversy. Why? Because the 13 people that comprise the CFP selection committee don't seem to know what they're doing. I'm sure they're all wonderful humans, but man do they suck (sometimes, not all the time) at ranking 25 college football teams.
What the CFP committee is supposed to do is wipe the slate completely clean. Everything that the AP has been telling us all year about where a team should be ranked is now supposed to be a moot point. All preseason expectations for teams should be thrown out the window. The only thing that's supposed to matter is what has happened on the field during the 2024 campaign. Nowhere in the selection criteria for the CFP does it say anything about ordering teams based on preseason merits. However, implicit bias and recognition are human nature, leading committee members to fall into the same traps that AP voters do.
I hope that one day I can see an AP or CFP poll and agree with it completely. For now, the only ranking that perfectly suits me is my own. Here's the D Poll for Week 11.
1. Oregon (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten)
Week 10 game: 38-17 win at Michigan
2. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)
Week 10 game: BYE
3. Miami (9-0, 5-0 ACC)
Week 10 game: 53-31 win vs. Duke
4. Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten)
Week 10 game: 47-10 win at Michigan State
5. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)
Week 10 game: 34-20 win vs. Florida
6. Ohio State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)
Week 10 game: 20-13 win at Penn State
7. Texas (7-1, 3-1 SEC)
Week 10 game: BYE
8. Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC)
Week 10 game: 28-18 win vs. Kentucky
9. Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West)
Week 10 game: 56-24 win vs. San Diego State
10. Penn State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)
Week 10 game: 20-13 loss vs. Ohio State
11. Notre Dame (7-1)
Week 10 game: BYE
12. SMU (8-1, 5-0 ACC)
Week 10 game: 48-25 win vs. Pittsburgh
13. Iowa State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12)
Week 10 game: 23-22 loss vs. Texas Tech
14. Alabama (6-2, 3-2 SEC)
Week 10 game: BYE
15. Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC)
Week 10 game: 44-20 loss at South Carolina
16. LSU (6-2, 3-1 SEC)
Week 10 game: BYE
17. Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2 SEC)
Week 10 game: 63-31 win at Arkansas
18. Army (8-0, 6-0 American)
Week 10 game: 20-3 win vs. Air Force
19. Pittsburgh (7-1, 3-1 ACC)
Week 10 game: 48-25 loss at SMU
20. Kansas State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12)
Week 10 game: 24-19 loss at Houston
21. Colorado (6-2, 4-1 Big 12)
Week 10 game: BYE
22. Washington State (7-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Week 10 game: BYE
23. Louisville (6-3, 4-2 ACC)
Week 10 game: 33-21 win at Clemson
24. Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC)
Week 10 game: 33-21 loss vs. Louisville
T-25. South Carolina (5-3, 3-3 SEC)
Week 10 game: 44-20 win vs. Texas A&M
T-25. Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC)
Week 10 game: BYE
Teams in consideration: Iowa, UNLV, Texas Tech, Tulane, Baylor, Minnesota, Syracuse, Arizona State, Missouri
As I said in last week's D Poll, I reward teams that win. So far my top four teams – Oregon, BYU, Miami, and Indiana – have not lost. I expect one, if not all, to fall at some point before the regular season concludes. Until they do, however, they'll continue to be at the top of my rankings.
With the CFP rankings coming out this week, it's finally time to start thinking about the playoff. Here's what the 12-team playoff would look like if the season ended today according to the D Poll:
First Round Byes:
1. Oregon (Big Ten Champion)
2. BYU (Big 12 Champion)
3. Miami (ACC Champion)
4. Georgia (SEC Champion)
Opening Round:
#8 Tennessee vs. #9 Boise State
#5 Indiana vs. #12 SMU
#7 Texas vs. #10 Penn State
#6 Ohio State vs. #11 Notre Dame
That's a fun bracket if you ask me. I hope it comes true. Except for SMU. Somebody, please get them out of there ASAP.