The first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings was released Tuesday night with undefeated Tennessee slotted at the No. 1 spot in the four-team field. Off to a dominant start to the 2022 season with a win over Alabama already on their resume, the Volunteers sit in the top slot while making their debut in the CFP Rankings as the playoff opens its ninth season of existence.
All but one team ranked No. 1 in a season’s initial CFP Rankings ultimately reached the four-team playoff (Mississippi State, 2014).
Unbeaten teams round out the rest of the top four with Ohio State, reigning national champion Georgia and Clemson filling the next three spots. The Bulldogs, who are seeking to become the first back-to-back champions in a decade, face the Vols in a No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week.
CFP Selection Committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at NC State, cited “the explosive nature of their offense” as the reason Ohio State slotted at No. 2 ahead of Georgia.
Just behind those four as the first two out of the playoff field are undefeated Michigan and one-loss Alabama.
The primary surprise to most atop the rankings is the Crimson Tide, whose signature win through eight games is a one-point victory over current No. 24 Texas. They are ahead of undefeated TCU, which has victories over No. 13 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma State without a loss on its resume. The Tigers being ahead of the Wolverines was similarly unexpected, though Michigan’s weak nonconference slate is a likely reason for its position.
“We’re looking for a balanced team, offense and defense, and [TCU] has gotten behind in some games. They’ve been able to come back and win those games. But when you look at Alabama — in the wins against Mississippi State, at Arkansas, at Texas and obviously the three-point loss at Tennessee — as a committee, we decided to go Alabama No. 6 and TCU No. 7,” explained Corrigan.
Unlike last season when Cincinnati opened at No. 6 in the CFP Rankings and eventually became the first Group of Five team to reach the playoff, the highest Group of Five program in these rankings is Tulane at No. 19. That will not create a scenario in which the Green Wave can advance to the playoff, but in an expanded 12-team field set to be introduced soon, Tulane would be in pole position to earn a bid as the highest-ranked…
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