Playoff committee ranks Alabama No. 3, Auburn No. 11 - 7 takeaways

The college football playoff selection committee announced the first edition of its rankings on Tuesday night, with the Alabama Crimson Tide slotted in the third-highest spot and Auburn coming in at No. 11.

Here is some instant analysis of this week’s rankings.

1. The committee respects the product Nick Saban is putting on the field. Despite the much-discussed deficiencies surrounding Alabama’s opponents so far, the committee ranked Saban’s squad No. 3. There’s no question members of the committee have watched the Crimson Tide play and recognize the elite talent and matching production, regardless of opponent.

2. Confidence in the Tide’s future schedule also makes it easy to tuck them safely inside the top four. Unlike Clemson, Alabama’s schedule will take care of itself. Alabama faces No. 2 LSU this weekend, No. 11 Auburn in the Iron Bowl and potentially a top 10 SEC East team in Atlanta. There’s no reason to overthink Alabama’s ranking knowing they will be sufficiently tested in the coming weeks.

3. A scenario now exists where an undefeated Clemson gets left out of the playoff. The ESPN studio team made a big deal out of the fact that getting left out of the top four would please Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. If that’s truly the case, then Swinney may learn to be careful of what he wishes for. Clemson’s schedule only gets worse, so there is a scenario where a couple of one-loss teams (PAC 12 champ Oregon, one-loss LSU) get in ahead of Swinney’s Tigers.

4. Is it better to lose to a clearly inferior opponent than a ranked opponent? We have always wondered if the playoff committee is more forgiving of losses to bad teams rather than in tests of near-equal talent. The Georgia Bulldogs enjoy a comfortable No. 6 ranking despite a bad loss at home to a sub-.500 South Carolina squad. In addition, the committee has ranked Utah No. 8 even with a loss to unranked USC and its embattled head coach Clay Helton. There is precedent, too. In consecutive years, Clemson lost to Pittsburgh and Syracuse and still made the playoff each year.

5. LSU may not drop out of the top four with a loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium this week. Maybe there is a reason why LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said there are going to be bigger games than this weekend’s tilt with the Crimson Tide. Or maybe this is more of the supreme confidence being displayed by LSU players. Sitting at No. 2 with two top-11 wins on its resume, LSU has to feel good about its chances of making the playoff no matter what happens Saturday.

6. There’s a lot left on the table for Auburn. Auburn is ranked a respectable No. 11. With the chance to pick up wins against the No. 6 and No. 3 teams in the country, a top six finish is not out the question for the Tigers. Look for some favorable matchups against Georgia to potentially create another heavyweight bout in the Iron Bowl.

7. Still a little chilly in Minnesota. The seven-time national champion Golden Gophers are off to their best start in years, and head coach P.J. Fleck just signed a lucrative seven-year extension. But all Fleck’s team has gotten for its 8-0 start is a No. 17 ranking. Minnesota currently sits directly behind two-loss teams Kansas State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin.