College Football Playoff rankings: How did the initial CFP rankings play out?
The initial College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday. While there have been plenty of complaints about the AP Poll, there have also been plenty of questions about how the College Football Playoff selection committee would view things. Take a look at the full rankings below:
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2. Georgia Bulldogs
3. Michigan Wolverines
4. Florida State Seminoles
5. Washington Huskies
6. Oregon Ducks
7. Texas Longhorns
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
9. Oklahoma Sooners
10. Ole Miss Rebels
11. Penn State Nittany Lions
12. Missouri Tigers
13. Louisville Cardinals
14. LSU Tigers
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
16. Oregon State Beavers
17. Tennessee Volunteers
18. Utah Utes
19. UCLA Bruins
20. USC Trojans
21. Kansas Jayhawks
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys
23. Kansas State Wildcats
24. Tulane Green Wave
25. Air Force Falcons
While there are some differences with the Week 10 poll, particularly with the Buckeyes landing in the top spot, 24 of the 25 ranked teams were ranked in both polls.
The James Madison Dukes, who are 8-0 and placed 23rd in the AP Poll, are the only team missing from the CFP rankings. The Dukes have only one win over a Power Five opponent, a 36-35 victory over the 2-6 Virginia Cavaliers. Instead, the College Football Playoff selection committee chose the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the initial rankings.
How did the College Football Playoff committee handle ranking the five undefeated Power Five programs?
There are five Power Five programs that remain undefeated entering Week 10 of the college football season. College Football Playoff selection committee chair Boo Corrigan discussed how the teams were handled, stating:
"We looked at it, the big win over Notre Dame, and the win over Penn State, and they have difference-makers on offense. We looked at it; Ohio State deserved to be No. 1. As a group, the 13 of us in the room, we felt this was the order for the top four slots."
Corrigan added that the ongoing investigation into the Michigan Wolverines is not an issue that the committee needs to handle, labeling it as an NCAA issue. The rankings will be updated at 7 p.m. EST every Tuesday for the next four weeks, with the exception of November 14th when they will be updated at 9 p.m. EST. The final rankings, which will determine the four teams to reach the postseason, will be revealed on Sunday, December 3rd at 12 p.m. EST.