Miami Topped CFP Rankings Tuesday
Committee placed Alabama at No. 5 and Notre Dame at No. 11, sparking debate over head-to-head results and schedule strength.
By Nikolai Patterson ·
The College Football Playoff selection committee ranked undefeated Miami first in its first poll of the season on Tuesday. Georgia, a team with seven wins and one loss, took the second spot, while undefeated Utah claimed the third position.
The rankings created immediate confusion regarding team strength versus recent results. Indiana, the defending national champion, sat at No. 4 with an 8-1 record. Ohio State, which defeated Indiana 19-15 last month, dropped to No. 12 after losing its starting quarterback Julian Sayin. The eight-spot gap between the two programs drew attention despite the head-to-head result.
Alabama, currently 6-2, was placed at No. 5. Tennessee, also 6-2 and the team that beat Alabama by 16 points recently, was ranked No. 13. Kentucky followed Alabama at No. 6, and Texas took the No. 7 slot. UCLA, the only other undefeated team in the country, was listed at No. 8. Notre Dame, a 7-1 team, landed at No. 11, seven spots below its position in the AP Top 25.
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek addressed the placement of the Irish directly. He described Notre Dame as a very, very good football team but noted they lack a signature win compared to the teams ahead of them. The Irish have lost only one game this season, a 28-24 defeat at BYU on Oct. 17. Their next test is a Saturday game against Miami, where a loss could push them out of the top 12.
Yurachek explained that head-to-head matchups only affect seeding if teams are in the same four-team pod. He cited the gap between Alabama and Tennessee as an example of this rule. He stated that while Tennessee beat Alabama, the Vols do not have the same level of quality wins when looking deeper into their schedules. The committee gave Alabama credit for a September win over Mississippi State, a team that is now 2-4 after the injury to quarterback Kamario Taylor.
The committee also addressed the drop for Ohio State. Yurachek said the group was more concerned with the defense than the new offensive scheme under freshman quarterback Luke Fahey. He pointed to the 30-18 loss to a 20th-ranked USC team as the primary factor. Boise State, ranked No. 25, would hold the automatic bid for the Group of Six, leaving Ohio State outside the bracket if the playoffs started today.
Ten of the 25 teams on the list are from the SEC, which has no undefeated members but accounts for 13 of the nation's 20 toughest schedules. The ACC had only two teams in the top 25, with Wake Forest at No. 16. The committee will release its next rankings next Tuesday. The selection process concludes on Dec. 6, with the final four games scheduled for Dec. 18 and 19. The championship game will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.
