If you’re reading this, you’re eagerly awaiting the release of tonight’s College Football Playoff rankings. At the Tailgate Society, we’re right there with you. Debates over head-to-head performance versus strength of schedule in one of our Slack channels has culminated in the creation of our own TGS Playoff rankings. Each week we will feature the top six teams and the rationale behind those rankings from several of our spirited contributors. I’ll get it started…

Tyler Gross @_TylerGross

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Penn State
6. Clemson

The Bulldogs have been the best team in college football to this point, they pass the eye test and the advanced analytics support their dominance. Alabama gets love from those same analytics but for me, the win in South Bend over what has turned out to be a terrific Notre Dame team puts UGA atop my rankings. Ohio State’s win over Penn State was impressive enough to put them atop the 1-loss teams. Notre Dame gets the slight edge over Clemson as their lone loss was to my top team while Clemson lost to a middling Syracuse squad.

The Sooners and Hurricanes would have been 7th and 8th in my poll, Oklahoma’s defense is a bit concerning and the Canes have yet to get a signature win.

Spencer Hughes @spencerhughes

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
6. Clemson

I’m all about what the resume is right now, not what I think it could be later. Take away the name “Alabama” and you have another Wisconsin: an undefeated team with no wins over impressive opponents. Still, 8-0, and the analytics say the Tide are the best around. So they’re in, along with a Georgia team with one of the best wins of the year at Notre Dame, Ohio State with another strong win over who would be my #7 team, in Penn State and Notre Dame, who has put together a string of solid wins (and only one loss, to my #1 team).

Oklahoma and Clemson are lingering with chances to get impressive road wins this weekend at Oklahoma State and NC State, respectively. It’s close, but if the season ended today three of the Power 5 conferences would be on the outside looking in.

Stephen Moldovan @Moldy78

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Notre Dame
4. Penn State
5. Ohio State
6. Clemson

Being as dominant as you could be against even a soft schedule, and a big win on the road in South Bend puts Georgia at #1. However, their schedule may be soft enough that a loss could put them behind another 1-loss team like Ohio State, Clemson or Penn State. Alabama owns a resume that is similarly dominant against a not-so-tough schedule, and is in for now, but may not have the resume to hold up against other 1-loss teams if they drop one down the stretch, even with the brand name. Notre Dame has only one loss to me #2 team, and has been dominant in every single other game against a highly rated schedule. Notre Dame is not only in, but this resume looks like it will hold up as other conferences enter the heavier portion of their schedules.

Penn State and Ohio State have extremely similar resumes in my estimation, and many might give OSU the edge with head-to-head, but I find it difficult to reward a one-point win at home, so the lack of a home loss gives PSU the edge. Clemson has maybe the best resume of wins, but the worst loss of any of these six teams, on the road against Syracuse. If they win out, it may be difficult to keep them out, but it’s also hard to see another team with a loss that bad in the playoff.

Jason Mitchell @bloggingthebig

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Notre Dame
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma
6. Ohio State

Georgia has the strongest resume of any undefeated team. The win over Notre Dame looks better than ever, and the blowout over Mississippi State puts Georgia in the #1 spot this week. Alabama has played a mediocre schedule, but has dominated. Notre Dame has the best loss, with only a one-point loss to Georgia, and three wins against the Top 25. Then things get hairy.

Clemson has the two wins against teams in the top-16 (Auburn and Virginia Tech), so I’ll go with them at the #4 spot (although their loss to Syracuse is a real stinker). Ohio State beat Penn State, but that’s their only good win. Oklahoma also has only one real quality win, but their loss to Iowa State doesn’t look nearly as bad after last weekend. Couple that with their dominating head-to-head win over Ohio State, and they get my vote for the 5th slot.

Composite

1. Georgia (24)
2. Alabama (18)
3. Notre Dame (15)
4. Ohio State (12)
5. Clemson (6)
6. Penn State (5)
7. Oklahoma (4)

Do you agree or disagree with any of the contributors or the composite specifically? Let them know by click on any of their twitter handles, or feel free to rage in the comments below. We’ll be back next week after another rousing weekend of college football.