Written by Tyler Pastorius
It’s that time of the year where college football fans are both excited and nervous. The first College Football Playoff rankings are released. To no surprise, the SEC reigns atop the poll with Alabama sitting at 8-0.
College Football Playoff Ranking
- Alabama (8-0)
- Clemson (8-0)
- LSU (7-1)
- Notre Dame (8-0)
- Michigan (7-1)
- Georgia (7-1)
- Oklahoma (7-1)
- Washington State (7-1)
- Kentucky (7-1)
- Ohio State (7-1)
- Florida (6-2)
- UCF (7-0)
- West Virginia (6-1)
- Penn State (6-2)
- Utah (6-2)
- Iowa (6-2)
- Texas (6-2)
- Mississippi State (5-3)
- Syracuse (6-2)
- Texas A&M (5-3)
- NC State (5-2)
- Boston College (6-2)
- Fresno State (7-1)
- Iowa State (4-3)
- Virginia (6-2)
If the College Football Playoff started today, the teams would be Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame in that order. Each school has earned the right to be in the top four but some would argue that LSU should not be ranked third. Sitting in the third spot with a 7-1 record, many analysts and fans had a toss-up between LSU, Michigan and Georgia. But there will be some shakeups as Alabama and LSU are set to face off Saturday, so at least one team will be dropping out of the rankings.
Typically, when talking about the University of Kentucky being nationally ranked, the majority of people are going to assume we are talking about basketball. However, this year Kentucky is ranked 9th in football. With a balanced passing attack and rushing game, the Wildcats have clawed their way into the top 10. This week they face off against Georgia, so this will be a big matchup to see if Kentucky can maintain a top spot, or we may see sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm and Georgia stop the Wildcats from making a run for the championship.
Surprisingly with only one loss, the Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked 10th. With a Heisman trophy candidate in quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who leads the team with 2,801 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions, the team has only one loss, coming against Purdue last week on the road. Ohio State was one of my favorites heading into the season to be in the playoff hunt and they still have a chance, however slim. The Buckeyes close the season against only one ranked opponent, their rival in the 5th ranked Michigan Wolverines. The last week of the regular season will be a big week not only for the Buckeyes but also the Wolverines as that game could decide who will get the final spot in the College Football Playoff.
A team that made a statement at the end of last season with a 34-27 victory over the 7th ranked Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl, the UCF Knights were ranked 12th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. This spot was also where UCF was ranked at the close of last season. UCF has yet to lose a game and they look to continue their impressive season as they close out their season playing against several good unranked teams.
The Fresno State Bulldogs surprised some people with their 23rd ranking in the initial rankings. The only loss the Bulldogs have taken this season was in Week 2 against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Of course, strength schedule plays a factor into the national rankings and that is why they sit at the bottom of the list. Throughout the entire schedule for the Bulldogs this year, they have not and likely will not face off against a ranked team. The only Power Five team they have played so far this season is UCLA and as UCLA is having a down season, this win is not as impressive as it may have been in the past.
The big surprise for me is that the Pac-12 is represented by both Washington State and Utah. Washington is ranked 8th and Utah is ranked 15th. Both teams will finish the season going against all Pac-12 opponents, aside from the last week of the season for Utah as they will be playing against BYU. In my opinion, the unranked but good Washington Huskies win out the rest of the season which will include a win against Washington State. This loss will likely knock Washington State out of contention for a playoff spot.
This is far from being anything like what the final rankings will be, but it’s a good insight into seeing where teams are positioned so far. This week and the last week seem to be some of the biggest weeks of college football as there will be big games that will play a huge role in the College Football Playoff rankings. What teams do you think were left off and do you agree with the top four teams?
(Image Credit: Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)
