If you lose big games to start the year and then beat bad teams in the middle/end of the year you’re also top 10

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It has to do with relevancy and how the AP ranks teams. These days rankings come more from losses than wins or overall strength. As for relevancy, a more recent loss is more relevant than an old loss. Teams evolve and change even week to week, so an old loss doesn't mean much compared to a new one. I've heard the CFP rankings are supposed to be based on team strength and not losses, but that remains to be seen.

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