None of it matters.

That’s the biggest takeaway from Tuesday night’s release of the second College Football Playoff rankings of 2019.

None of it matters.

Just as it didn’t matter that the initial rankings — which moved LSU and Alabama from Nos. 1 and 2 in the AP rankings to Nos. 2 and 3 in favor of Ohio State — the fallout from LSU’s 46-41 victory over the Crimson Tide tells us one immutable fact.

None of it matters.

We know, we know — that’s what the losers always say. Surely the folks in Baton Rouge are crying the corndog-scented crocodile tears for their Alabama brethren right now. But repeat after me, Crimson Nation …

None of it matters.

And here’s why: Should Alabama dominate Mississippi State as expected (our friends in the desert have 20 points they want to give you on this …) Saturday in Starkville, exchange a 7-figure check for a blowout home win against Western Carolina and — this one is really the only one that is relevant — overcome No. 12 Auburn on Thanksgiving weekend, Alabama will matter once again.

At No. 5 in said CFP rankings right now doesn’t mean a hill of beans if Alabama beat Auburn on Nov. 30.

Why?

Because there isn’t a committee on the planet that wouldn’t recognize that defeating a 2-loss Auburn team likely by then ranked in the Top 10 is enough of a test to move the Crimson Tide above Georgia — which at the moment sports a loss to unranked South Carolina team that just lost to Appalachian State.

The reason we know this to be true is because Alabama is already in the best possible position to make an unprecedented 6th consecutive appearance in the CFP Final Four.

Yes, Alabama is outside the top 4 for the 1st time since Nov. 28, 2017 — when it also was No. 5. That year, an undefeated Tide team lost to Auburn on The Plains.

That year, Alabama made it in despite not even playing in the SEC Championship Game.

That year, Alabama won the national championship.

And oh, by the way, Alabama also plays in the SEC — which has 3 teams in the Top 5. This marks the 3rd time since the CFP formed. The SEC is the only conference to ever do this once, let alone 3 times.

The hype is real, people. The phrase “it just means more” isn’t lost on the CFP committee, which knows the final weeks of the regular season will shake out 1 of those 3 teams on its own.

That’s because there is plenty of football left to be played.

Perhaps the worst possible outcome would be for a 1-loss Georgia to win the SEC title over undefeated LSU. It would then be logical to expect the Tigers to be considered for the No. 4 spot — ahead of the Pac-12 and Big 12 champs. Neither of those conferences has an undefeated team in the mix, leaving the door open for a 1-loss SEC team with tons of quality wins like LSU to nudge them (and the Crimson Tide) out.

If Georgia loses to Auburn this weekend but beats undefeated LSU in the SEC championship game, some would think the question might become trickier. Does a 2-loss SEC champ automatically go? Would 1-loss LSU and 1-loss Alabama be in better position than Georgia?

Chalk tells you, though, that this weekend’s Georgia-Auburn game likely won’t matter in the eventual outcome. Georgia wins and then loses to LSU, and Alabama is in if the Tide wins out. Auburn wins and LSU beats the 2-loss Bulldogs, Alabama is in if the Tide wins out. In either scenario, Alabama — especially with a win over a top 10 Auburn — finally has that quality win that edges out a Georgia team saddled with that South Carolina loss. (If Auburn has 3 losses, then the Tide need to whip the Tigers worse than Georgia did.)

Put another way, Alabama suddenly became LSU’s biggest fan. Because the only hope the Crimson Tide really need is for said chalk to prevail and for the Iron Bowl go their way — which is one of the main goals whether Alabama is 11-1 or 1-11 going into the game.

Every LSU victory looks better for Alabama. Every Alabama victory looks better for Alabama. And that doesn’t even factor in the remaining schedules and challenges in front of No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson.

Alabama is where it deserves to be, and quite frankly where it needs to be. The Tide might need a smidge of help to make it happen, but the path to yet another College Football Playoff is as clear as ever. Win out and eat a bunch of celebratory corndogs on Dec. 7 watching LSU outclass either a 1-loss or a 2-loss Georgia team — all the while resting and recruiting up a storm.

What happens on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 are really all that matters. All the rest is noise and chatter for the all-sports channels, radio chatterboxes and ink-stained wretches to grumble about.

The current rankings? Sure. Alabama is No. 5. On the outside looking in. Needing help and hope.

But again, repeat after me …

None of it matters.