The much anticipated college football’s new 12-team playoff rankings were revealed yesterday.
With the first ever 12-team format met with a few wrinkles that have some die-hard college fan bases on the edge of their seats.
At no surprise, the unbeaten Oregon Ducks were the No. 1 team in the first rankings released by the College Football Playoff selection committee Tuesday.
The Ducks were followed by Ohio State, Georgia, Miami and Texas in the top five.
Penn State, Tennessee, Indiana, BYU, Notre Dame, Alabama and Boise State rounded out the top 12 teams that would compete in the newly expanded playoff at season’s end.
This year, the top four seeds must be conference champions under the new format. If the season ended today those teams would be Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), Miami (ACC) and BYU (Big 12).
Other projected first round games would be Boise State at Ohio State, Alabama at Texas, Notre Dame at Penn State and Indiana at Tennessee.
On the outside looking in include storied programs like Texas A&M (14) and LSU (15).
Perennial national power Alabama did manage to squeak into the initial top 12 rankings, but many wonder if Alabama will be able to hang on to staying in the playoff rankings because of their two, early season losses.
The committee chose Alabama over a handful of one-loss teams, but the Tide’s strength of schedule clearly helped them leap over teams like No. 13 SMU (ACC), No. 17 Iowa State (Big 12) and No. 18 Pitt (ACC), who play in weaker conferences.
However, a lot could change after this weekend as LSU hosts Alabama on Saturday in what feels like an elimination game for the loser.
Other significant games of note this week as it pertains the national rankings include, Georgia plays at No. 17 Ole Miss; the Rebels two losses have both come by a field goal — to Kentucky and LSU.
Indiana hosts Michigan and is favored by 12 1/2, ahead of a Nov. 23 matchup against Ohio State.
The rankings will come out each week through Dec. 8, when the final list will decide the bracket for the playoffs. Those start Dec. 20-21, with the 5-12 seeds in action at the better seed’s home field, and close with the national title game in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The four first-round games will be played at the home campus of the higher-seeded teams on Dec. 20 and 21. The four quarterfinal games will be staged at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
The two semifinal games will take place at the Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl on Jan. 9 and 10.
The CFP National Championship presented by AT&T is scheduled for Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.