Winning matters, but how a team does it when compared to its peers also plays a role.
Ohio State, for example, was ranked No. 1 by the College Football Playoff selection committee last Tuesday in what will be a (made-for-TV) weekly release until the final four is announced at the end of the regular season. With impressive wins over the likes of Notre Dame and Penn State, the Buckeyes were seen as having the best resume despite lacking the dominance that teams like Georgia and Michigan have shown.
The Buckeyes may have won defensive slugfests against quality opponents, but this team is a fraud after struggling to pull away from Rutgers on the road.