All but one team was ranked No. 1 in the initial single-season CFP rankings and ultimately made the four-team playoff (Mississippi State, 2014). Undefeated teams fill out the rest of the top four with Ohio State, reigning national champion Georgia and Clemson filling the next three spots. The Bulldogs, seeking their first back-to-back championships 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 was ranked No. 2 ahead of Georgia. Right behind those four as the top two out of the playoff spot are undefeated Michigan and one-loss Alabama. The main surprise to most at the top of the rankings is the Crimson Tide, whose signature win in eight games is a one-point victory over current No. 24 Texas. They are ahead of undefeated TCU, which has wins over No. 13 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma State on its resume. That the Tigers were ahead of the Wolverines was just as unexpected, though Michigan’s weak non-conference slate is a possible reason for its placement. “We are looking for a balanced team, attack and defense, and [TCU] has been lagging behind in some games. They were able to come back and win those games. But when you look at Alabama — the wins against Mississippi State, Arkansas, Texas and obviously the three-point loss at Tennessee — as a committee, we decided to go to No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 TCU.” Corrigan explained. 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 playoffs, the highest ranked Group of Five program in this ranking is Tulane at No. 19 .That won’t create a scenario in which the Green Wave can advance to the playoffs, but in a soon-to-be-introduced expanded 12-team field, Tulane will be in pole position to earn a bid as the potential Group of Five champion with the highest rank. Let’s take a look at the entire top 25 in the CFP rankings. Check out bowl expert Jerry Palm’s analysis, which will be added below soon.
College Football Playoff Rankings, November 1
Analysis by bowls expert Jerry Palm
While we don’t agree with our prediction for the top seven teams in the CFP rankings, it’s hard to argue with the order in which the committee chose to place these teams. I felt that these seven teams were grouped into two tiers, the top three (Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia) and the next four (Clemson, Michigan, Alabama, TCU). Any ordering within these respective groups was justified. Tennessee was rewarded for having more wins against ranked teams than either Ohio State or Georgia. As such, I’m not surprised to see Alabama ahead of an undefeated TCU, especially since Texas also ended up ranked. This gave the Crimson Tide a win over a ranked team and their loss is the best loss anyone can have right now. One has to go further down the list before there is a true surprise. LSU at No. 10 seems like a stretch. The Tigers did get a big win over Ole Miss at home, but they got blown out by Tennessee (also at home) and lost to underdog Florida State. It’s not until No. 14 Utah before there are other teams with losses to unranked opponents. Need more college football in your life? Listen below and subscribe to the Cover 3 Podcast where we break down the initial College Football Playoff rankings for the 2022 season. No matter how the teams rank this week, keep in mind that change is coming. These rankings do not work like the AP Top 25 or the Coaches poll. It is possible to win and move down or lose and move up (although the latter is less likely). Take Illinois for example. The Illini start at No. 16, but have a clearer path to the playoffs than the four two-loss teams ahead of them. To get there, Illinois needs to win out, which would include a win at Michigan on Nov. 19 and another possible win against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. I didn’t say it was an easier road, but how could the committee turn down a 12-1 Big Ten champion with those wins? They couldn’t and probably wouldn’t. Everything I just said about Illinois would be just as true if they weren’t ranked right now — which is why there’s no point in getting too worked up about the early CFP rankings.
