The College Football Playoff won't kick off for another two months when the semifinal matchups are played. However, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee met, deliberated and voted for the first time on Tuesday to reveal the first CFP rankings of the 2023 season.
Fans were already ruthlessly debating how the rankings would shake out for the first CFP rankings this season. Would the Ohio State Buckeyes be rewarded for their two big wins over Notre Dame and Penn State by jumping ahead of the top two teams in the AP Top 25 all season, the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines? How would they handle Washington and Oregon after the Huskies won head-to-head, but have overall looked worse? Same with Oklahoma and Texas.
Those questions have been answered as we have the first College Football Playoff rankings yet. Let's see how the Top 25 -- and more importantly the Top 4 -- look entering Week 10.
First CFP rankings revealed: Top 25 College Football Playoff rankings for Week 10
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Michigan Wolverines
- Florida State Seminoles
- Washington Huskies
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas Longhorns
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Missouri Tigers
- Louisville Cardinals
- LSU Tigers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Oregon State Beavers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Utah Utes
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Tulane Green Wave
- Air Force Falcons
Ohio State took the No. 1 spot, no doubt buoyed by the two best wins among the undefeated teams in college football. Michigan and Georgia, despite dominant starts, have not beat the same level of competition.
College football media reacts to Ohio State at No. 1 over Georgia, Michigan in first CFP rankings, more
Naturally, with a bit of a shocking Top 4 and some stunning decisions throughout, the college football media provided plenty of commentary -- some flattering, some insightful, some damning -- of the Selection Committee's first CFP rankings of the 2023 season.
We are always prisoners of the moment with the College Football Playoff rankings, though. Lest we forget that the Mississippi State Bulldogs were the first ever No. 1-ranked team in the CFP rankings back in 2014 as they were undefeated at the time behind Dak Prescott. After a loss to Alabama soon after, though, they faded from the Top 4.
The point is, these rankings have a way of sorting themselves out over the final month of the regular season and then in conference championship games. So we are sure to see that with Michigan-Ohio State, the SEC Championship Game, the rest of the Pac-12 schedule, and much more to truly determine the four best teams in the country.
