Despite what fans think, South Carolina is not jumping Ole Miss and Alabama if all are three-loss teams

The fourth installment of the College Football rankings was released yesterday evening, and the three-loss SEC teams were ranked as expected. Alabama held the No. 13 spot, followed by Ole Miss and South Carolina, and Texas A&M at No. 20.

The Gamecocks face No.12 ranked Clemson on Saturday. Fans expect them to jump Alabama and Ole Miss with a win, even if they record wins against their unranked opponents. The argument is there, but the CFP committee will likely brush it aside.

Ole Miss and Alabama have both beaten South Carolina this season

The College Football Playoff selection committee uses various criteria to decide how to rank teams. The strength of a team's schedule is considered much further down the list of criteria than most expected. It favors the eye test and head-to-head records of teams.

It's why South Carolina is ranked below Ole Miss and Alabama, losing to both those teams. So, a win over a top-12 ranked Clemson team on Saturday would not help them jump the Rebels and Crimson Tide if they also win.

They can only be ranked above them if both teams lose and they win. Ole Miss and Alabama have beaten South Carolina, but both have wins over No. 7-ranked Georgia, improving their résumé. The Gamecocks' only win over a current ranked opponent is over No. 20 Texas A&M.

That means if they heavily beat Clemson and Alabama wins a close one against Auburn and looks terrible, the Gamecocks may have a slim chance of jumping them. However, it would likely not change the committee's stance.