Badger Football: 3 Takeaways from College Football Playoff

The penultimate College Football Playoff (CFP) poll was released on Tuesday night. So what did we learn for Badger football from the results?

The last pencil edition of the CFP Poll was unveiled on Tuesday and we learned a few things for Wisconsin football. As you’d expect, the Badgers benefited from Alabama and Miami losing over the weekend.

Wisconsin football inches up to #4 in the latest ranking. That’s in the final four field of course but not a comfortable place.

So what did we learn from the new ranks? Well here are Badger of Honor’s three main takeaways from the new CFP poll numbers.

1. Win and you’re in for the Badgers

Sitting at #4 means Bucky is in the playoff at present. It’s impossible to imagine a scenario where (a) Wisconsin finishes the season undefeated (b) wins the Big Ten title over #8 The Ohio State (3) gets left out of the playoff.

As we’ve written before, the CFP committee would be setting a dangerous and illogical precedent by omitting a undefeated power five conference champ. Therefore, the path remains the same as it ever was. Just winning every game even if the schedule wasn’t the 1927 Yankees.

Tuesday’s poll confirms the obvious. A 13-0 Badgers will make the the CFP.

2. Wisconsin may be stuck at #4

At the moment, Wisconsin is #4. So if everyone in front of them wins (Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma) there would be no reason to think Wisconsin could jump up.

Of course, if those teams win, the Badgers might need full retribution for the 2014 Big Ten title game. That one was a 59-0 The Ohio State win. A dominant Wisconsin win coupled with uninspiring wins from (Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma) could open the door.

However, even if the trio in front of the Badgers lose (any of them) that still might not be enough. The CFP poll may elect to elevate SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs or ACC Champion Miami over the Badgers. So a win alone won’t promote Bucky. They have to win big and get help elsewhere.

3. The CFP committee loves the SEC

So no real shocker here given what we Big Ten fans hear every year. The SEC is loved by pollsters to the point of being overvalued.

The most recent example is a two-loss Auburn team being placed at #2. In addition, pollsters put Alabama at #5 and Georgia at #6. So if Oklahoma stumbles or The Ohio State beats Wisconsin, the SEC likely gets two teams in the CFP.

Next: Grading the Badgers Against Gophers

I don’t share the committee’s alacrity this season. Keep in mind there are currently five SEC teams in the CFP’s top 25 and five Big Ten teams as well. Yet it looks like we’ll have to hear more about “SEC speed” and such. I mean, there’s a reason Bret Bielema left Wisconsin to get better athletes and compete for a national title at Arkansas.