The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released their rankings last night, with the top seven teams revealed in this order:
Georgia
Alabama
Oregon
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Michigan
Michigan State
Based on last week’s top five teams, only Michigan State lost over the weekend (they fell to Purdue), which caused them to slide to seventh.
However, fans and analysts are outraged that the committee has Michigan ahead of Michigan State, considering the Wolverines lost to them only twelve days ago.
Of course, this latest ranking creates debates on every sports outlet with everyone making their case for what the rankings should be.
As I hear the analysts discuss how dumbfounded they are and upset about the committee doing such a thing, I can’t help but think that people are prematurely angry when the season isn't over yet.
There are still many important matchups yet to be played, including matchups between teams ranked in the top seven right now.
So much more is going to happen over the next month before the committee declares the four teams who will actually play in the College Football Playoff.
Until then, these weekly ranking updates aren't final and patience is required as we wait to see how the rest of the season plays out.
As fun as it is to discuss temporary rankings each week, we're basing our befuddlement and frustration on limited information. There's still time for things to change and more details over the coming weeks will determine the final verdict.
So often in life, we respond in anger or disbelief when things don't line up the way we think they should. However, we usually react to "rankings" we don't like based on limited information, and lose sight of the fact that there are still "more games on the schedule."
We have to learn to remain patient and not get upset so quickly when it appears something isn't turning out the way we think it should. We must remember there's still time for things to change, and more details over the coming weeks (or even years) will determine the final verdict.
Thankfully as followers of Jesus, we can trust this to be true because God has a much bigger plan and sees things we can't. It doesn't benefit us to get prematurely frustrated in the middle of a "season" because God's not done yet and He's continuing to work it out for our good (see Romans 8:28).
Although it's easy to question the way things are when we don't like our current status or "rankings," we can be encouraged by a story in the Bible where Jesus and the disciples are on a boat in the middle of a major storm with waves crashing around them.
Mark 4:38-40 (NLT) explains,"Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion. The disciples woke Him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don’t You care that we’re going to drown?' "When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then He asked them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?'”
Jesus knew then and He knows now what He's doing and has the power and ability to calm our storms and get us through them. We must continue to remain patient as we trust Him to work things out.
As college football fans, we need to relax and be patient to see how things play out because it's not over yet. Likewise, as followers of Jesus, it’s probably premature to be filled with anger, frustration, and befuddlement about our own current "rankings" because He's still working and it's not over yet.
Today, we may question Jesus...or the CFP committee...or even our own soul like the Psalmist, in Psalm 42:5 (AMP): "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?"
But let's not stop there. Instead, let's be encouraged by what he also writes: "Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence."
I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I know my story isn't over and You're not finished with me yet. Thank you for the work You're doing in me and around me right now - even if I can't see it. Thank you in advance for the ways things will work out for my good. Please help my unbelief and replace my frustration with peace. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What are you frustrated about in your life?
When you look back at the past, describe the times when things worked out and you realize you had limited understanding and premature frustration.
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