LOS ANGELES — In the hot run WWE has been on in the past few years, media and fans have referred to it as the ‘Triple H era,’ a nod to the creative work of chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.

Levesque has been humble to say he isn’t worthy of holding the title of this new period, but the head man of WWE is ready to offer a new title to signify the next point in the company’s history: the ‘Netflix era.’

With 2024 coming to a close, WWE is gearing up for the bang it is attempting to start 2025 with as its iconic show Monday Night Raw makes the move to Netflix. The inaugural show will take place on Jan. 6 at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

It’s a big move for the most popular wrestling company in the world, and shows how far its viewership has come since its beginnings in the 1960s. Starting as one of the many regional companies in the U.S., WWE eventually became the dominant brand that had a firm grasp on what the country was watching, and although it has faced stiff competition at various points — even today — it reigns supreme with its programs available worldwide.

But the top brass in WWE believe the move to Netflix is going to be like something not seen before in professional wrestling, and at one of Netflix’s Los Angeles theatres on Tuesday, they gave the media some insight as to why it is making the jump to Netflix, as well as what WWE fans can expect to see starting on the debut episode on the streaming service.

‘To have a brand like WWE, which has been so enduring going back decades, was just an awesome opportunity for us to jump at,’ said Brandon Riegg, Netflix vice president of nonfiction series and sports.

Why is WWE going to Netflix?

The two companies are finding exactly what they want. Netflix has been wanting to expand its live sports coverage, and WWE wants to expand its outreach. Netflix is already one of the top streaming service globally, and having WWE programming on it gets more potential eyes on a product that is already having strong viewership in the U.S.

‘We try to appeal the WWE to all 50 states and to countries globally. We think Netflix does the same thing,’ said WWE president Nick Khan.

Outside of the U.S., all of WWE’s live programming — including its premium live events — will be available to watch on Netflix at no extra cost to subscribers. Levesque added it will be a ‘game changer’ for people in countries where WWE isn’t easy to access, or is on at inconvenient times. With episodes added to the Netflix catalog, subscribers can watch tapings at any time after it airs.

With a larger audience pool, Levesque also said there will be more more international events in 2025. The company already announced it will have a 11-city tour through Europe leading up to WrestleMania.

What other WWE content will be on Netflix?

Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in addition to WWE’s live programming, Netflix also will produce documentaries, and are looking into the possibilities of doing scripted and unscripted series involving WWE talent. Bajaria added Netflix also is open to doing movies with WWE talent, similar to WWE Films in the 2000s, and Riegg said there could be chances for reality show types of series.

‘First and foremost, it has to be a good idea, because it doesn’t serve anybody’s interest if we just roll something out for the sake of having the talent in there, if it’s not great. But you will absolutely see those sorts of things beyond just the documentaries,’ Riegg said.

Levesque said Netflix’s openness to other concepts will allow both sides to try new things.

‘There’s so many opportunities,’ he said. ‘We’re just really talking about the stuff that currently exists, but I’m really excited about the stuff that doesn’t even exist yet that we can build together.’

What will change about WWE programming?

With WWE moving away from network TV, there has been speculation WWE will stray away from being PG and go for more a mature rating given the company has tested the waters in recent months. There’s been more expletives, gore and suggestive themes to indicate a transition.

Well, put those theories to rest.

‘We’re not changing the rating of our programming,’ Khan said. ‘That’s definitely not happening. It’s family friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It’s going to stay that way.’

The goal from executives is trying to expand the fanbase, and not alienate a younger generation. Levesque said he wants it to be ‘a safe place for families’ to watch.

What will change is fans can expect a more ‘global flair’ to programming, Khan said. He said WWE and Netflix still are trying to determine how commercial breaks will work. Levesque added there will also be more opportunities for stars ‘to come in and out’ so it’s not the same people on screen every week.

What about the issues from Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson?

Despite the hype, WWE viewers might have been worried about how it will be on Netflix after the issues that plagued the highly anticipated fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. Even though the event’s viewership peaked at 65 million concurrent households, several people experienced issues watching it.

With so many problems spoiling Netflix’s big event, how is the streaming service going to ensure it doesn’t become a consistent issue? Netflix will also air two NFL games on Christmas Day.

‘You can’t learn these things until you do that,’ Bajaria said. ‘So you take a big swing, and our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, stabilized it and really, many of the members really had it sort of back up and running pretty quickly. But we learned from those things, and we’ve obviously sort of done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready.

‘We’re totally ready and excited for WWE that’s going.’

Pat McAfee returns to Monday Night Raw

On air, expect the return of a familiar voice.

Pat McAfee will be returning to commentary of Monday Night Raw, Levesque said. He added that he will be ‘back with us here full time’ alongside Michael Cole. McAfee has been away from WWE since August as he moved toward focusing on his college football duties for ESPN.

What to expect on the first Netflix Monday Night Raw?

It’s no secret the first Monday Night Raw is going to be a massive tone setter for the rest of the ‘Netflix era.’ Even though he didn’t reveal what could be in store on the night, Levesque said the Jan. 6 date has been circled for months and it’s being ‘looked at like a WrestleMania.’

So far, WWE has promoted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Bianca Belair. Also in the program will be rapper Travis Scott and John Cena, who will start his farewell tour at the show.

The penultimate College Football Playoff rankings show how the race for the 12-team field has settled into form with only conference championship games remaining in the regular season.

With at least eight and maybe nine teams already locked into place, there should be very little controversy with the final rankings should favorites take care of business on Friday and Saturday.

But messiness is lurking around the corner. Based on Tuesday night’s rankings, the one game that could throw the whole debate into chaos is the ACC championship game between No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson. After backing into the matchup with help from No. 12 Miami and No. 22 Syracuse, the Tigers could take a fourth bid away from the SEC by knocking off the Mustangs.

Another matchup with heavy playoff implications will be in the Mountain West, where No. 10 Boise State and No. 20 UNLV are set to meet for the second time this season.

And the biggest takeaway from Tuesday night involves Ohio State, which came at No. 6 after losing to rival Michigan.

The Buckeyes and Alabama lead the winners and losers from the latest playoff rankings:

Winners

Ohio State

Dropping just four spots from last week is a huge win for the Buckeyes, who are now in line to host an opening-round playoff game despite Saturday’s loss and the ensuing fourth-place finish in the Big Ten. The committee looked past that miserable finish to the regular season and focused on Ohio State’s two marquee wins against No. 3 Penn State and No. 9 Indiana. Another advantage in the comparison with No. 7 Tennessee are each team’s losses: No. 1 Oregon and Michigan for the Buckeye against Arkansas and No. 5 Georgia for the Volunteers. That’s a comparison that favored Ohio State.

Alabama

The No. 11 Crimson Tide were able to stay well ahead of No. 14 South Carolina despite the Gamecocks’ rivalry win against Clemson. Based on the precedent set on Tuesday night, this leaves Alabama as the next in line to earn a playoff bid should one spot open after conference championships are held this weekend. The one result that would derail Alabama’s chances is Clemson winning the ACC, since SMU seems in position to earn an at-large bid with a loss. Two ACC teams in the bracket would result in just three SEC teams, leaving the Tide as the first team out.

UNLV

That UNLV rose to No. 20 virtually guarantees the winner of the Mountain West will end up as the top-ranked team in the Group of Five. The Rebels were helped by Tulane’s loss to No. 25 Memphis, which knocked the Green Wave out of playoff contention and robbed No. 24 Army of the chance to add a much-needed marquee win. While in line for a playoff bid by beating Boise State, UNLV would not receive an opening-round bye as the fourth-highest conference champion; that final spot would very likely be taken by the Big 12 winner.

Losers

Army

You have to wonder about what could’ve been: Had Army pulled off an enormous upset of No. 4 Notre Dame two weeks ago and Tulane topped Memphis, you could’ve mapped out a scenario where the Black Knights would’ve joined the Mountain West winner as the second Group of Five team in the field. Now four spots south of UNLV, Army has increasingly long odds of capturing a playoff berth. But there’s plenty left to play for, beginning with the chance for the first conference crown in program history before meeting rival Navy to end the regular season.

South Carolina

The hottest team in the SEC and one of the red-hot teams in all of the FBS will eventually be boxed out of the playoff by two key losses: to Alabama and No. 13 Mississippi. It’s hard to complain about the Gamecocks’ ranking when all three teams have the same record and the Tide and Rebels own the head-to-head tiebreaker. But South Carolina has been on a roll, taking six in a row with three wins against teams in this week’s rankings, and would’ve been a very tough matchup for any opponent in the opening round.

Really, DeMeco Ryans? 

Of all the reaction, emotion and analysis that flowed from the dirty hit by Azeez Al-Shaair that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of action in Jacksonville on Sunday with a concussion – prompting the NFL on Tuesday to suspend the Houston Texans linebacker for three games – the worst came from Ryans. 

The Texans coach blamed the victim. 

“It’s two-fold, right?” Ryans contended on Monday, having had ample time to review the video and collect his thoughts. 

“A lot of quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule, where they slide late and try to get an extra yard. You’re a defender, a lot of the onus is on the defender, whether it’s on the sideline or where it’s on the quarterback, you don’t know what a guy is thinking. You don’t know if a guy is staying up and he’s continuing to run, you don’t know and then you get a late slide and you hit the guy.” 

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

No, this wasn’t so accidental. Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, should know better.  

Sure, we’ve heard defensive players groan about safety rules for years. And we’ve seen quarterbacks juke, stutter and hesitate for that extra yard. Patrick Mahomes, the game’s best quarterback, is a master at the craft. He has repeatedly caused defenders to freeze on his pump-fake as he scrambles to the sideline. 

Yet this case with Lawrence wasn’t that. There was no pump-fake or dead-leg hesitation as he scrambled in the open field. He was clearly giving himself up with a feet-first slide. 

And Al-Shaair blasted him, anyway – leading with a forearm for a blow to Lawrence’s head and neck area. Intended or not, it reflected ill will, intimidation and, well, a clear violation of the NFL’s rule to protect defenseless players. 

Yet Ryans turned a blind eye those details. 

“It’s unfortunate that Trevor got hurt,” the coach said. “Hope Trevor is OK, but it’s also, if we’re sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, get out of bounds, and that rule is there to protect the quarterbacks. We want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so we just have to be safe when we’re sliding and making sure we’re keeping our heads down.” 

This nonsense from Ryans is stunning, and not just because it comes from one of the NFL’s rising stars in the coaching ranks. I get it – to some degree. Ryans wanted to defend one of his players, a team captain who happened to have also crossed the line in the past. But in the process of that, Ryans has undermined his own credibility. 

Rather than making a statement in the name of safety, Ryans has, intentionally or not, made a mockery of the NFL’s efforts to protect defenseless players. 

And this is not only coming from the Texans coach. Houston’s general manager, Nick Caserio, weighed in on Tuesday with pushback that criticized the NFL for an apparent lack of consistency in issuing discipline. 

“One of the biggest issues that we sort of take umbrage with, I would say, as a team, organizationally, is a picture that’s been painted of Azeez,” Caserio said Tuesday during a news conference in Houston. “Quite frankly, I’d say it’s unfair.” 

Until now, Al-Shaair had never been ejected from a game or suspended by the league, Caserio said. He mentioned how Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected from a game at Green Bay in early November and played the following week at Houston. The GM pointed out that Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James was suspended for one game – and not three – for a hit at Pittsburgh in September and cited for repeated violations. Caserio also referenced Buffalo Bills safety Kareem Jackson, who was suspended twice last season as a member of the Denver Broncos, after multiple ejections. 

“In this situation,” Caserio said, “quite frankly there’s no consistency at all to the level of discipline that’s been handed down.” 

Caserio used an expletive, too, in laying out the defense of Al-Shaair’s case, which is being appealed. It’s an attack on the character of a linebacker, who incidentally, the GM noted, participated in a United Way event on Tuesday. It’s over-the-top discipline. 

It’s some serious whining for a blatant blow to the head. 

It’s also fair to wonder whether the Texans would be so forgiving if an opposing defender took out their star quarterback, C.J. Stroud, with the type of ferocious hit that floored Lawrence. Fortunately, Lawrence appears to be in a good place with his recovery, given the update the quarterback shared on social media once he returned home. 

Al-Shaair went to social media, too, issuing an apology to Lawrence while expressing his remorse. It’s striking, too, that while Ryans blamed the Jaguars for the brawl that erupted while Lawrence was laid out on the turf at EverBank Field – “overreacting,” the coach called it – Al-Shaair offered a different perspective. 

“To the rest of his teammates, I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that,” Al-Shaair posted on X. 

In the NFL’s letter of explanation to Al-Shaair, Jon Runyan, the league’s chief enforcement officer, noted that the situation escalated when the linebacker “pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask.” Runyan also pointed out that after Al-Shaair’s ejection from the game was announced, he removed his helmet and sparked another confrontation as he left the field. 

The emotions were clearly overheated. And we all know why. The dangerous hit on Lawrence ignited a reaction from Jaguars players. Yet Ryans blamed the Jaguars for that, too. 

“The entire thing is Azeez hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts and it turns into a melee,” Ryans said. “It wasn’t our guys. Their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline. So, that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sideline as well, for both teams.” 

Maybe the suspension, which if it stands will keep Al-Shaair sidelined until Week 18, will provide substance for a teaching moment. As Runyan noted, this isn’t the first time the linebacker has been involved in questionable actions that threaten safety. In Week 2, Al-Shaair’s hit on Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams – late and unnecessary, the league determined – drew an $11,817 fine when coupled with a punch he threw at running back Roschon Johnson after the play.  

Then again, the teaching moment might only come by admitting what is clearly shown on the video evidence. And that lesson isn’t merely for the player who inflicted the blow. 

What, did you really think the College Football Playoff selection committee was here to tell us that this sport had become more egalitarian than we have known it to be for the last 50 years? Did you really think that the first year of a 12-team playoff and the beautiful mess that this regular season produced was going to break up the stranglehold that the SEC and Big Ten have over every facet college sports? 

Ha. Nice try. You’d have better odds of buying a winning lottery ticket than usurping the oligarchy that will always — always — get the benefit of the doubt when there’s a close call to be made. 

And just look at what it’s going to potentially give us: Alabama at Notre Dame? Tennessee at Ohio State? 

Oh yeah!

And also: Oh no!

Warde Manuel, the committee chairman, made it clear Tuesday night on ESPN that there’s only one result left on conference championship weekend that will materially impact the bracket. If Clemson beats SMU for the ACC title, the Tigers will move into the field as an automatic qualifier. And the Mustangs? Well, it’ll be a nervous Saturday night because the final spot in the field will pretty much come down to the Ponies and the Crimson Tide.

Gulp. 

But even as it is, the new reality of college football is plain as day. We can talk all we want about NIL and the scheduling inequality in 16-team conferences and a new form of parity that seemed to bubble up all around the country this year. For goodness sakes, it took Georgia eight overtimes and an avalanche of friendly officiating calls down the stretch last Friday just to beat the ACC’s sixth-place team. 

Yet at the end of the day, the College Football Playoff bracket is poised to have four SEC teams, four from the Big Ten, Notre Dame, the winner of Boise State-UNLV in the Mountain West, the winner of Arizona State-Iowa State in the Big 12 and SMU as the lone ACC representative if they take care of business against Clemson. 

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Ohio State, Alabama get boost from CFP committee

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Alabama enters playoff field, while Texas, SMU move up

In other words, there is no Power Four. There’s only a Power Two, and everyone else is left clawing at the scraps. 

The committee’s decision to rank Alabama No. 11 is telling. Even at 9-3 with losses to Vanderbilt and arguably the worst Oklahoma team of the 21st century, the Crimson Tide is in position to get into this thing when it doesn’t really feel like they deserve it. Again. 

You can go back to the BCS in 2011 when Alabama got the nod over Oklahoma State to play LSU for the BCS title despite having already lost to the Tigers in the regular season. You can look at 2017 when they didn’t win the SEC West but were chosen as one of the four best teams and won the whole thing. Or you can focus on last year when the one-loss Crimson Tide jumped over unbeaten Florida State for the fourth spot, largely due to Seminoles starting quarterback Jordan Travis being injured. 

The trend is clear. Alabama always gets the benefit of the doubt, even in a year like this one where it’s hard to find a lot of data points that say they deserve it and even the Crimson Tide’s fans gave up on the season a couple weeks ago after the 24-3 embarrassment in Norman.

Manuel came armed Tuesday with an answer for why the committee liked Alabama ahead of 10-2 Miami or even other 9-3 teams like Ole Miss and South Carolina. He pointed to Alabama’s 3-1 record against teams currently in the top 25, which was the best of that group. He also pointed to the fact that Alabama is 6-1 against teams above .500 while Miami is 4-2. 

Those are compelling points, if you ignore that Alabama’s two bad losses are worse than Miami’s two against Georgia Tech (the team that took Georgia to the wire) and a 9-3 Syracuse team ranked No. 22.

And I’m not saying that the committee is wrong here. Someone is going to get that 12th spot, and whoever it would be is destined to be flawed. 

But if you’re the ACC and Big 12, Tuesday had to be both clarifying and depressing. Yes, Miami has nobody to blame but itself for blowing a 21-0 lead at Syracuse last weekend, and Clemson probably would have had its spot in the field sewn up had it held onto a 14-7 lead going into the fourth quarter last weekend against South Carolina. Nobody is going to seriously argue that either of those teams are getting a raw deal. 

But for the ACC to have four ranked teams and possibly get just one spot is a huge slap in the face. And the Big 12 has essentially been dismissed as a serious college football entity, treated no differently in the rankings than the American Athletic Conference. BYU is a 10-2 team with a defeat of SMU, a four-point loss to Kansas and a five-point loss to Arizona State and doesn’t even get a sniff at No. 18 in the rankings. 

Meanwhile, Indiana is so protected by the Big Ten brand that the Hoosiers are just going to sail into this field at 11-1 despite beating nobody and getting destroyed in their only real test of the season at Ohio State. 

As college football officials discussed expanding the playoff beyond 12 when the next television contract kicks in a couple years from now, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and the Big Ten’s Tony Petitti floated a 14-team playoff with four automatic bids for each of their leagues. 

When that was rejected, the next discussion point centered on three guaranteed bids each for those two leagues and two each for the Big 12 and ACC. It’s unfair and unnecessary — even un-American, in a sense.  But after seeing the way this year’s bracket is playing out, they might have to think hard about taking that deal. 

If the ACC and Big 12 are stuck in a position where they’ll need some luck and grace from the committee just to get a second team in, they’re in really deep trouble. Because Alabama is always going to be Alabama, and the truth about expanding the playoff to 12 or 14 or 16 teams is that it significantly lowers the bar for what the bluebloods need to accomplish to get into the playoff. 

This Alabama team has been frustrating and underachieving and at times plain average under Kalen DeBoer. Yet they’re on the doorstep of getting in. Again. 

If that comes to pass, it’ll make for some amazing blueblood-on-blueblood matchups and huge TV audiences. And it should end any notion that adding teams to the playoff was going to make this sport fairer. 

The Milwaukee Bucks have put that 2-8 start in the rearview mirror.

With Tuesday’s 128-107 victory against the Detroit Pistons, the Bucks secured a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a 4-0 record in Eastern Conference Group B play. They moved to 11-9 overall.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have found offensive compatibility, the defense has improved and the Bucks have now won nine of their past 10 games, including seven consecutive.

The New York Knicks also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 record in East Group A play after beating the Orlando Magic 121-106 Tuesday.

Though they fell to 3-1 in group play, the Magic also reached the quarterfinals as the East wild card, beating Boston (also 3-1 in group play) in the point differential tiebreaker. All the Magic had to do was not lose by 37 or more.

It got close.

The Knicks led by 37 with 2:54 left in the third quarter, and the Celtics were rooting for their division rival. The Magic, however, did just enough in the fourth quarter.

The Atlanta Hawks qualified for the quarterfinals last week as the winner of East Group C with a 3-1 record, edging Boston on the head-to-head tiebreaker in group play.

In the West, Houston clinched Group A and Golden State won Group C last week, grabbing quarterfinal berths. In Group B, Oklahoma City defeated Utah, 133-106, advancing with a 3-1 record and head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over 3-1 Phoenix.

Dallas snagged the wild card with a 121-116 victory against Memphis – it was enough for the Mavericks to win the point differential tiebreaker over the Suns.

East Group A

Group winner: New York Knicks; Orlando Magic also advance as wild card

The Knicks, who ended Orlando’s six-game winning streak, have been a tad uneven this season as they work newcomers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges into the lineup. But they found success in Cup play, and All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson led the way with his scoring and passing.

Even without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero, the Magic have continued to win games, and Franz Wagner is a significant part of that. He averaged 30.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals in Orlando’s three Cup victories.

East Group B

Group winner: Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are one of the hottest teams in the league and moving up the Eastern Conference standings. Antetokounmpo and Lillard each averaged almost 30 points in the three Cup games in which they played, and against Detroit, they combined for 55 points – 28 for Antetokounmpo and 27 for Lillard.

East Group C

Group winner: Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson collected 20.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals and shot 54.7% from the field in four Cup games.

West Group A

Group winner: Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets, who are in second place in the West, are one of the league’s talented young teams. Seven players average double figures in points including 22-year-old Jalen Green (18.9 points per game) and 22-year-old Alperen Sengun (18.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists per game).

West Group B

Group winner: Oklahoma City Thunder

Yes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star and MVP candidate for Oklahoma City. And Jalen Williams is shaping into an All-Star. He had a game-high 28 points on 12-for-18 shooting in the Thunder’s victory against Utah and also had had five assists and three steals.

The Suns needed Dallas to lose or they needed to beat San Antonio by 28 points to earn the wild card and neither happened.

West Group C

Group winner: Golden State Warriors; Dallas Mavericks also advance as wild card

Golden State clinched the group last week with a 3-0 record, and Warriors star Steph Curry averaged 23 points, 7.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds and shot 49% from the field and 46.2% on 3s in those three games.

The Mavericks trailed the Grizzlies 111-103 with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter and were in danger of being eliminated. But they outscored Memphis 18-5 to finish the game and advanced. Luka Doncic had a game-high 37 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas.

When are the NBA Cup knockout round games?

Here is the knockout round schedule:

Quarterfinals: Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 in home markets

Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks
Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets

Semifinals: Dec. 14, 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT and 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC in Las Vegas

Final: Dec. 17, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC in Las Vegas

(This story was updated to add new information.)

In less than one week, the College Football Playoff field will finally be selected. Is the committee on the correct path?

With the regular season over, the field for the inaugural 12-team playoff is starting to take shape as conference championship week has arrived. Regardless whether teams play this week or not, several squads are still trying to make arguments as to why they should be in the field, or why they should have home-field advantage in the first round.

This weekend is the final chance to not only impress the selection committee, but erase all doubt by punching the automatic ticket to the playoff. The penultimate rankings give some hints as to what can unfold on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean it’s all correct. Here are the grades for the selection committee’s choices in the latest rankings reveal.

1. Oregon: A+

After a perfect regular season, the Ducks head into the Big Ten championship game with a playoff spot secured, and even the top seed.

2. Texas: A

The win against Texas A&M wasn’t all that impressive from an offensive standpoint, but the ranking could be justified with a revenge win over Georgia.

3. Penn State: A-

Penn State suddenly finds itself with a chance to get a first-round bye. However, it should drop a few spots if the Nittany Lions can’t beat Oregon.

4. Notre Dame: B+

With the way Notre Dame has been playing, the Fighting Irish have a case to be ranked over Penn State. Regardless, they can’t be any higher than the No. 5 seed, which it has locked up.

5. Georgia: B

Barely surviving Georgia Tech will assure the Bulldogs make the playoff, even if they don’t play pretty. If Georgia loses to Texas, how far it drops off will be something to watch on Sunday.

6. Ohio State: D

Yes, Ohio State has beaten Penn State and Indiana. Yet they lost to a horrible Michigan team. The Buckeyes should have dropped more than this and shouldn’t be in position to host a playoff game.

7. Tennessee: C-

The Volunteers have to be fuming if they have to play on the road even after Ohio State’s disastrous performance. Tennessee has a case to be the home team in the first round.

8. Southern Methodist: A

Take care of business in the ACC title game and SMU will be a top-three seed in the bracket. If SMU does lose to Clemson, it shouldn’t drop entirely out of the playoff field.

9. Indiana: A

Sitting pretty at No. 9, Indiana is feeling comfortable in its playoff spot, even if it’s a near certainty the Hoosiers will have to play on the road.

10. Boise State: B+

Win and it’s in for Boise State. Lose and the Broncos will be outside of the playoff field. Boise State has a healthy lead over the Big 12 for one of the top four spots.

11. Alabama: C-

All Alabama can do is hope and pray the favorites win in conference title week so it can’t be bumped out of the playoff field. However, the Crimson Tide don’t have the makeup of a playoff team.

12. Miami: D

Miami deserved to fall after losing to Syracuse. But to fall six spots down against a team now ranked and behind Alabama with virtually no chance to move up? The Hurricanes got a bit screwed.

13. Mississippi: A-

Mississippi won’t be sniffing the playoff thanks to the damaging losses it suffered against unranked teams. The Rebels shouldn’t be near the field.

14. South Carolina: C-

South Carolina did lose to Mississippi, but the resume is far more impressive than what the Rebels have done. The Gamecocks deserve somewhat of a chance into the playoff, and now that isn’t going to happen.

15. Arizona State: F

By being five spots behind Boise State, Arizona State has an extremely hard path toward getting a first-round bye even if it wins the Big 12, which isn’t right for a team playing as good as the Sun Devils.

16. Iowa State: C-

Right behind Arizona State, Iowa State has the same argument as the Sun Devils in it doesn’t have much of a shot toward not being the No. 12 seed in the bracket if it wins.

17. Clemson: B

The ranking doesn’t really matter since Clemson is playing a ‘win and in’ contest in the ACC championship game.

18. Brigham Young: A-

It’s a shame to see how far BYU fell after it was undefeated a few weeks ago. The Cougars do have a case to be ranked higher than Clemson given the quality of victories.

19. Missouri: C-

Missouri’s best win was against Vanderbilt. Doesn’t really mean the Tigers should be in the top 20.

20. UNLV: A-

Tulane’s loss really benefitted UNLV toward being a spoiler in the bracket. Beat Boise State and UNLV is in the playoff and ready to cause havoc.

21. Illinois: B-

Illinois didn’t really impress much this season, but ending the season on a three-game win streak is enough for it to be ranked.

22. Syracuse: A

After shocking Miami with an incredible comeback, Syracuse makes a triumphant debut into the rankings to cap off a great victory.

23. Colorado: A-

Colorado doesn’t have a chance to get into the College Football Playoff, but the Buffaloes had a strong season that deserves a ranking.

24. Army: C-

With the only loss coming against a red-hot Notre Dame, Army has to hate that it doesn’t have a path toward the playoff even if it wins the American Athletic then beats Navy.

25. Memphis: B+

What better way to reward Memphis than by ranking the team that ended the American Athletic’s small chance of stealing a playoff bid?