This isn't hard. Rankings matter, because being ranked brings publicity. This isn't your grandma's pre-NIL days. Being top 25 crushes being outside of the top 25. That little (#) accompanies all mentions of the team, be it on tv or a website. Being top 10 beats just being in the top 25. Witness Nebraska beating Creighton and how that has been talked about as a transformative win for Hoiberg. If Creighton was unranked, does one think that that conversation would happen? As far as top 5 versus top 10, that matters, but to a lessening degree. What it does allow for is the climb up over those ranked above. The pathway is easier to climb above 4 when you are ranked 5th, rather than being ranked 10th. That's just common sense. Also, it is that much closer to number 1. And every team wants to be ranked #1. You are the opposing team's superbowl, you are talked about as THE top team in the country, repeatedly. You get more publicity. And I can't wait until UConn is ranked #1, hopefully by January 1st.