Ohio State Claims Top Spot in First College Football Playoff Rankings
The College Football Playoff committee dropped its first rankings of the season Tuesday night, and the Ohio State Buckeyes are sitting pretty at No. 1. If you’re a Buckeyes fan, go ahead and celebrate—just don’t get too comfortable. We’ve got four weeks of chaos left before the final bracket gets locked in on December 7.
Ohio State’s 8-0 record speaks for itself, with statement wins over Texas and Washington. But this wasn’t exactly a landslide decision. Indiana and Texas A&M are breathing down their necks at No. 2 and No. 3, both sporting perfect records of their own. So what gave the Buckeyes the edge in the first College Football Playoff rankings?
Why Ohio State Earned the Top Ranking
CFP Committee Chair Mack Rhoades didn’t leave us hanging. He explained that while Ohio State and Indiana were “really close,” the Buckeyes got the nod thanks to their dominant play on both sides of the ball. Ohio State leads the nation in points allowed (6.9 per game) and yards allowed (214.8 per game)
Indiana’s no slouch either, sitting in the top 10 defensively with a quality win over Oregon. But Rhoades pointed to Ohio State’s offensive line and overall defensive edge as the deciding factors. As for Texas A&M? They’ve got the No. 1 strength of record in the country, but their defense doesn’t quite stack up to the top two.
First Round Byes and Matchups
The top four seeds in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Alabama, get first-round byes, which is a massive advantage in a 12-team playoff format. Meanwhile, the rest of the top 12 will battle it out in first-round games hosted on campus. Imagine No. 9 Oregon traveling to No. 8 Texas Tech, or No. 10 Notre Dame heading to No. 7 BYU. These matchups could get wild.
The winners of those first-round games will then face the top seeds. Oregon or Texas Tech gets Ohio State. Memphis or Georgia takes on Alabama. Virginia or Ole Miss draws Texas A&M. And Notre Dame or BYU will challenge Indiana.
What’s Next For the College Football Playoff?
With four weeks left in the regular season, everything is still on the table. The Big Ten Championship could pit Ohio State against Indiana, which would be an absolute blockbuster. Meanwhile, the SEC is as chaotic as ever, with Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M all jockeying for position. One thing’s for sure: the College Football Playoff committee has set the stage for drama.
