College Football Playoff Rankings: Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Florida State open 1-4 in top 25 poll

The first version of the College Football Playoff Rankings was once launched Tuesday night time with undefeated Ohio State slotted at No. 1 in the four-team box. Off to a dominant begin to the 2023 season with wins already over Notre Dame and Penn State, the Buckeyes sit down in the top spot whilst having a look to make a playoff look for the fourth time in the ultimate 5 seasons.

All however two groups ranked No. 1 in a season’s preliminary CFP Rankings in the long run reached the four-team playoff (Mississippi State in 2014, Tennessee in 2022).

Unbeaten groups spherical out the remainder of the top 4 with two-time reigning nationwide champion Georgia, Michigan and Florida State filling the following 3 spots. The Bulldogs will glance to care for their stature this Saturday as they face No. 12 Missouri at 3:30 p.m. ET in one in every of two SEC on CBS Games of the Week.

Just in the back of the ones 4 as the primary two out of the playoff box are undefeated Washington and one-loss Oregon. The Huskies have a head-to-head ranking over the Ducks already this season.

There aren’t any vital surprises atop the scores, regardless that No. 9 Oklahoma does sit down in the back of No. 7 Texas regardless of the Sooners already defeating the Longhorns. OU’s loss ultimate Saturday to No. 21 Kansas (prior to now unranked in the AP Top 25) is obviously noticed as a “worse” loss, therefore the score order.

Unlike 2021 when Cincinnati opened at No. 6 in the CFP Rankings and in the end become the primary Group of Five crew to achieve the playoff, the highest-ranked Group of Five program Tuesday is Tulane at No. 24. That is not going to create a situation in which the Green Wave can advance to the playoff, however in an expanded 12-team box set to be offered in 2024, Tulane could be in pole place to earn a bid because the highest-ranked doable Group of Five champion.

Let’s check out all the CFP Rankings top 25. Check out research by way of bowls knowledgeable Jerry Palm, which will likely be added under in a while.

College Football Playoff Rankings, Oct. 31

1. Ohio State (8-0)
2. Georgia (8-0)
3. Michigan (8-0)
4. Florida State (8-0)
5. Washington (8-0)
6. Oregon (7-1)
7. Texas (7-1)
8. Alabama (7-1)
9. Oklahoma (7-1)
10. Ole Miss (7-1)
11. Penn State (7-1)
12. Missouri (7-1)
13. Louisville (7-1)
14. LSU (6-2)
15. Notre Dame (7-2)
16. Oregon State (6-2)
17. Tennessee (6-2)
18. Utah (6-2)
19. UCLA (6-2)
20. USC (7-2)
21. Kansas (6-2)
22. Oklahoma State (6-2)
23. Kansas State (6-2)
24. Tulane (7-1)
25. Air Force (8-0)

Analysis by way of bowls knowledgeable Jerry Palm

There have been at all times going to be alternative ways to understand and rank the 5 main unbeaten groups. Ohio State at No. 1 had the most powerful case in accordance with power of time table and high quality wins.

The fight between Michigan and Georgia for 2d in the scores, if those have been the general version, could be a fight for uniform colour in the CFP semifinals. In this example, it’s extra of a fight of a perceived weaker time table (Michigan) in opposition to a miles decrease ranked time table (Georgia). The Bulldogs emerge forward perhaps at the power of wins over Kentucky and Florida, which you want to relatively say are nonetheless higher than any crew the Wolverines have performed. However, no crew has ruled its time table so far like Michigan.

Both groups have backloaded schedules. Georgia’s subsequent 3 video games are in opposition to Missouri, Ole Miss and at Tennessee. Michigan visits Penn State and hosts Ohio State after feasting on Purdue and touring to Maryland in a sport this is temporarily dropping its luster. Even if Michigan have been forward this week, Georgia is on a trail to complete in entrance if each finish the season 13-0.

Washington sits at No. 5 in the back of Florida State in section for the reason that Huskies have one way or the other most effective performed 3 groups which can be lately .500 or higher regardless of being in the most productive convention this season. Washington additionally has a backloaded time table with video games arising at USC and Oregon State sandwiched round a seek advice from from Utah.

Florida State isn’t so lucky. The Seminoles have in-state competitors Miami and Florida, the latter at the highway, however the one ranked crew doubtlessly left on its time table is No. 13 Louisville in the ACC Championship Game.

Oregon was once a transparent selection for the top one-loss crew, but it surely will get attention-grabbing in the back of the Ducks. The CFP Selection Committee selected to appreciate the head-to-head results of Texas’ win at Alabama however now not Oklahoma’s victory over the Longhorns. That is because of the loss by way of the Sooners to a lower-rated crew in Kansas.

Of the one-loss groups, the Ducks, Longhorns and Crimson Tide have essentially the most transparent paths to playoff berths as a result of their final schedules and what they have got achieved to this point. It is way much less most likely for the opposite one-loss groups.