Just when the frustrations with the initial College Football Playoff rankings were starting to subside, the sport took its usual chaotic turn, completely reshaping the projected playoff field. The rankings were turned upside down as Georgia stumbled against Mississippi, and Miami's perfect record was blemished by Georgia Tech. Consequently, some teams saw their playoff hopes boosted, while others face uncertainty in securing a spot in the 12-team field.

Navigating the Unpredictable Playoff Landscape

Indiana: Deserving of Greater Recognition

The Hoosiers have made a significant leap, moving up three spots to No. 5 in the rankings. However, they still aren't receiving the full recognition they deserve from the committee. Indiana remains one spot behind Penn State, a decision that doesn't entirely make sense. While Penn State's only loss came against Ohio State, Indiana remains undefeated and should be rewarded for being one of the four remaining unbeaten teams. When considering the eye test, Indiana has been more dominant than the Nittany Lions.The narrow victory against Michigan, the closest any team has come to defeating the Hoosiers, coupled with Penn State's decisive win over Washington, likely explains why the Nittany Lions still hold the edge. However, Indiana has outperformed Penn State this season, and the pressure will be on the Hoosiers as they face Ohio State. Unfortunately, they may be penalized more severely than the Nittany Lions should they also fall to the Buckeyes.

Georgia: Casualties of the New Playoff Format

There's nothing wrong with Georgia's current No. 12 ranking, as it accurately reflects their standing. However, this position highlights how a relatively strong football team can become a casualty of the new playoff format.Due to the top five conference champions being guaranteed a spot, the Bulldogs find themselves outside the field, despite their impressive performance. The committee's decision to place Georgia behind the two teams they lost to, Alabama and Mississippi, demonstrates their emphasis on head-to-head records.To regain a spot in the playoff bracket, the Bulldogs will need a significant amount of help. They'll need the Crimson Tide, Rebels, or another at-large team to suffer an additional loss, one that would be deemed worthy of them falling in the rankings. Meanwhile, Boise State and Army are emerging as the top contenders from the Group of Five to secure an automatic bid, and their position behind Georgia won't matter if they win their respective conference titles. The path to the playoffs has become increasingly challenging for the Bulldogs.

Southern Methodist: Overlooked Despite Undefeated Conference Play

Only one team remains undefeated in ACC play, yet this accomplishment doesn't seem to carry much weight when it comes to securing a playoff spot. Southern Methodist should have received a significant boost with Miami's fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, but instead, the Mustangs find themselves at No. 14 in the rankings, while the Hurricanes are still projected to earn the ACC's automatic bid.Miami's loss to Georgia Tech, while not necessarily a bad one since the Yellow Jackets are a solid team, is still worse than SMU's lone defeat, which came in a close game against Brigham Young. Both teams share common wins against Louisville and Duke, but the Mustangs also boast a quality victory over Pittsburgh, which the Hurricanes cannot match.Currently, the only path for SMU to make the playoff appears to be winning the conference title, a much tougher road than the one Miami currently faces. The committee's decision to prioritize the Hurricanes over the undefeated Mustangs is a puzzling one that deserves further scrutiny.

Army: Undefeated Group of Five Team Overlooked

Being an undefeated Group of Five team clearly doesn't carry as much weight as being a three-loss SEC team in the eyes of the committee.The Black Knights have only moved up one spot, despite their continued dominance on the field. They find themselves behind Missouri and LSU, who have both suffered significant losses, as well as South Carolina, which received a boost from defeating an unranked Vanderbilt squad.In their most recent game, Army didn't blow out North Texas, but they still clearly demonstrated their superiority in a 14-3 victory. Meanwhile, LSU was thoroughly dismantled by Alabama, Missouri beat a weak Oklahoma team, and South Carolina's win over Vanderbilt hardly seems worthy of the committee's recognition.Barring a miraculous turn of events, Army's chances of making the playoff appear to be dwindling, which is an unfortunate circumstance for a team having a dream season. The committee's apparent bias against undefeated Group of Five teams is a concerning trend that deserves further examination and reconsideration.