The first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings was released Tuesday night with undefeated Georgia slotted as expected at the No. 1 spot in the four-team field after the Bulldogs’ dominant start to the 2021 season. SEC rival Alabama is in at No. 2 despite already suffering a loss to Texas A&M, making it the highest-ranked one-loss team ever in the initial release. Undefeated Michigan State opens at No. 3 with Oregon surprising many by checking in at No. 4 ahead of a couple undefeated Power Five teams.
Cincinnati, at 8-0 with two Power Five wins, begins the CFP Rankings process outside the top four looking in. The Bearcats are hoping to become the first Group of Five team to advance to the playoff, and they start that effort ranked higher than any other such team in this process at No. 6. Cincinnati was ranked No. 7 in the final CFP Rankings last season, the previous high for a Group of Five team.
Two undefeated Power Five programs, Oklahoma and Wake Forest, are not only outside the playoff field but below four one-loss teams. The Sooners have looked uneven despite their unblemished record, while the Demon Deacons have not faced any significant competition and have played one of the weakest schedules in the nation through their first eight games.
Notably absent from the CFP Rankings are Penn State, which has two top 25 wins already this season, and undefeated UTSA of Conference USA. The Roadrunners have wins over Illinois and Memphis and are ranked No. 16 in the latest AP Top 25.