College Football Playoff rankings: Live updates on No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama and what about Cincinnati?

The best political spin is usually the one you don’t notice.

That was how Brian Kelly made his first case for Notre Dame in the 2021 College Football Playoff, an endorsement so subtle that it hardly registered after last weekend’s 44-34 win over North Carolina. In rattling off how the Irish won their third consecutive game by evolving, Kelly submitted Notre Dame’s strength of schedule as an asset, even if it has felt more like an albatross for much of this season.

“It’s an improving football team,” Kelly said. “We’ve got, I don’t know, five Power 5 wins? Is that right? Six. We’ve got six Power 5 wins. It’s an improving football team.”

OK, readers. The committee has spoken. Let the grumbling and the conspiracy theories fly.

(Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Sir. Seeing as how Cincinnati is the only AAC team in the committee rankings, it seems like the move to the Big 12 will help … or will it? The Big 12’s unbeaten Oklahoma is only No. 8. Even with expanded Playoff, it looks like an SEC/Big Ten East party. The Bearcats would need to win the Big 12 convincingly for a spot. Am I off base? — Thanks, Dave

I appreciate this well-crafted question, but I do think you’re off base. If anything, Cincinnati needs to call up Bob Bowlsby to see whether this whole changing-conference thing can take effect before Dec. 5.

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco had hoped he wouldn’t need to do this again. But he’s once again baffled by the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings of his conference’s teams. This time, it’s undefeated Cincinnati opening at No. 6, after being ranked No. 2 in the AP and coaches polls.

“This is a committee. They’re human. They’re fallible like anybody else. I just think they’re not looking at the entire picture,” he told The Athletic on Tuesday night. “It’s been tough for our conference to have these really good teams and not have an opportunity to play for the championship.”

Saturday’s game between Michigan State and Michigan was one of the most-anticipated matchups in the history of this rivalry. Two top-10 teams. The first time MSU and UM have played one another as undefeated squads this late into the season ever. It also happened to be the most-watched regular-season college football game in a calendar year.

Among those watching? The College Football Playoff committee’s members. They liked what they saw out of Michigan State. The win was enough to put the Spartans at No. 3 in the first rankings of the season.

Relax.

Take a deep breath.

Oklahoma came in at No. 8 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first 2021 rankings Tuesday, angering a good portion of the Sooners’ fan base. How could 9-0 Oklahoma — currently ranked fourth in both human polls — sit so low in the eyes of the only 13 people in America whose opinion actually matters? And with four one-loss teams ranked ahead of the Sooners, does any realistic hope exist for a fifth Playoff appearance in seven seasons?

Matt Fortuna and Andy Staples break down the first CFP rankings.

It’s finally here. A moment we’ve waited all season to see. A moment that will define this era of college football and its playoff system.

The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2021 come out Tuesday, and the selection committee faces one question above all others: Where should it rank Cincinnati?

Should the playoff field go to 12? Former CFP COO Michael Kelly apparently thinks so.

If you’re an Ohio State fan, one word was all you really needed to hear from College Football Playoff selection committee chair Gary Barta on Tuesday night.

“Yet.”

As in, “They (the Buckeyes) don’t yet have a signature win.”

I had more curiosity going into Tuesday’s first College Football Playoff Rankings than I had since the very first set back in the 2014 season. I truly had no idea how the committee would rank teams two through seven (or so). I figured there’d be some unexpected curveballs.

Sure enough! My biggest takeaways from the Show That Doesn’t Really Matter But Still Makes Us Irrationally Angry.

This is not about Cincinnati. Well, it’s not just about Cincinnati.

This week, the College Football Playoff committee placed the Bearcats at No. 6, the highest a Group of 5 team has been ranked, but oh so far from actually qualifying for the Playoff. The committee left Cincinnati’s conference rivals, SMU and Houston, ranked by both the media and the coaches, unranked. No. 6 might be as high as Cincinnati, which hosts Tulsa and ESPN’s College Gameday this weekend, gets all season.

“Cincinnati has tremendous respect from the committee,” committee chairman Gary Barta said.

Does it?

Reasonable minds can land on both sides of a simple question: If Cincinnati reaches the December finish line at 13-0, is it one of the four best teams in college football? I suspect I know how Notre Dame might vote, but just about anyone who cares at least a little bit about the sport will have an opinion. But there are only 13 opinions that matter.

The committee seemed to value head-to-head.

The time for speculation and first impressions has long since passed. We now have a baseline understanding of college football’s general landscape through the perspective of the College Football Playoff selection committee, which released the first of six rankings for the 2021 season on Tuesday night.

Are we being distracted by the CFP rankings?

What does sitting at No. 5 mean for the Buckeyes?

Cue the outrage. Scream into the night air about how unfair the initial College Football Playoff rankings are and how Alabama wasn’t punished enough for a three-point road loss to No. 14 Texas A&M.

Yawn. It does not matter.

What does the committee think about the Bearcats?

Oklahoma is No. 8, followed by Wake Forest.