Ohio State Remains No. 1 in The Latest CFP Rankings

It’s that special time of year again — and no, not the holiday season. It’s the long-awaited release of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings! This week’s update didn’t come with many surprises, as the Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas A&M Aggies, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Georgia Bulldogs round out the top five spots in both the CFP Rankings and the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

The selection committee unanimously crowned Ohio State as the No. 1 team in the nation — a choice that’s hard to dispute. The Buckeyes remain undefeated, quarterback Julian Sayin continues to show steady improvement, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has his squad playing lights-out football on that side of the ball.

“Again, the committee, really clear consensus in the room. Ohio State, the No. 1 team in the country,” said CFP Committee Chair Mack Rhoades. “Felt like the most complete team. Really good defensively, particularly up front. Offensively, again, really good. Their offensive line play is outstanding. They have the great playmakers in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. The quarterback Sayin right now leads the country in passing efficiency and completion percentage. Those are all reasons why Ohio State, again, clear consensus for the committee for them to remain at No. 1.”

Indiana remains at No. 2, despite suriving a tough game in Happy Valley against Penn State.

However, the selection committee decided to keep its second rankings intact at the top.

“It was one of our longer discussions in our meeting,” Rhoades told ESPN. “Indiana, we gave them the edge defensively, and certainly, offensively, as well. You think about Indiana’s body of work. … Indiana found a way to find a way.”

One of the biggest moves this week came from Texas Tech, which climbed two positions to land at No. 6. The Red Raiders leapfrogged Ole Miss, who slipped to seventh after a lackluster showing in a non-conference matchup with The Citadel.

Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes edged out Georgia Tech in the rankings, largely thanks to a standout non-conference victory over Notre Dame during Labor Day Weekend. That head-turning win continues to hold weight with the committee, even though Miami’s recent victory over Syracuse and Georgia Tech’s idle week didn’t shift much momentum.

“Certainly, the win versus Notre Dame was a key factor for placing Miami ahead of Georgia Tech,” Rhoades explained. “In general, with the ACC, I think their lack of non-conference signature wins other than Miami over Notre Dame hurts the conference.”

Looking ahead, the first-round playoff games are scheduled for December 19 and 20, hosted at the higher-seeded teams’ home stadiums. The quarterfinals will take place at iconic venues including the Cotton Bowl Classic, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl on December 31 and January 1.

The semifinals will be played at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on January 8 and 9, leading up to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T, set for January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.