Alabama begins to make its case, though its not clear they’ll be able to hang on without Tua. Cincinnati climbs into the top four.
As for Georgia, the quality of their overall wins is better than any team in college football except LSU. But unlike the committee, the Network Ranking does not simply ignore the South Carolina loss. The only worse single loss in the top 25 is Boise State’s loss to BYU. There’s a way forward for Georgia, specifically beating LSU in the SEC Championship (and perhaps some Big 10 chaos), but without that the Network will rule them undeserving.
You may also be wondering why Oklahoma actually fell rather than rose. Kansas State (Oklahoma’s only loss) lost to West Virginia, which dramatically outweighed negatively any positive gains from beating Baylor.
Top 25 (Explanation; Full Ranking)
LSU (nc)
Ohio State (+1)
Clemson (+1)
Cincinnati (+2)
Alabama (+3)
Penn State (-1)
Minnesota (-5)
Michigan (+4)
SMU (nc)
Notre Dame (+5)
Baylor (-4)
Florida (+2)
Oregon (-3)
Iowa (+11)
Auburn (-4)
Georgia (+1)
Oklahoma (-4)
Wisconsin (+3)
Utah (nc)
Boise State (nc)
Memphis (-3)
Appalachian State (+1)
Texas A&M +3)
Texas (-2)
Pitt (+4)