Nov. 6 (UPI) — Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and Miami lead the first edition of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff rankings, the selection committee announced.
The Oregon Ducks (9-0) are the No. 1 team in the rankings. Followed by the No. 2 Buckeyes (7-1), No. 3 Bulldogs (7-1) and No. 4 Hurricanes (9-0). The No. 5 Texas Longhorns (7-1), No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1), No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers (7-1), No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers (9-0), No. 9 BYU Cougars (8-0) and No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1) round out the Top 10.
The Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2) and Boise State Broncos (7-1) hold the respective No. 11 and 12 spots. The final rankings will be revealed Dec. 8, leading to the first edition of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff.
“I’ll say that next month and this last month leading into the playoff is going to be extremely exciting because teams that before we weren’t thinking about going into the playoff are going to have an opportunity,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, a member of the selection committee, said during a teleconference.
“We’re still looking at 20 plus teams potentially that have a shot to get into the playoff.”
Manuel said the Ducks’ Oct. 12 win over the Buckeyes, in addition to their 5-0 record against teams with winning records, earned them the No. 1 ranking.
The Buckeyes’ tight game (32-31) against the Ducks, in addition to their 5-1 mark against teams with winning records and a road win over Penn State, were factors in their No. 2 ranking. The Bulldogs earned the third spot because of their win at Texas, strong defense and tough schedule.
Manuel cited the Hurricanes’ undefeated record, road win over Louisville and said the committee was “impressed with their explosive offense.”
The No. 13 SMU Mustangs (8-1), No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies (7-2) and No. 15 LSU Tigers (6-2) round out the Top 15 in the first edition of the rankings. See below for the full Top 25 rankings.
The top-ranked Ducks will host the Maryland Terrapins (4-4) at 7 p.m. EST Saturday in Eugene.
The No. 2 Bulldogs will battle the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels (7-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Miss. The No. 15 Tigers will host the No. 11 Crimson Tide in the only other game of the weekend between ranked teams. That SEC matchup will kick off at 7:30 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.
The No. 3 Buckeyes will host the Purdue Boilermakers (1-7) at noon Saturday in Columbus. The No. 4 Hurricanes will take on the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (5-4) at the same time in Atlanta. The No. 5 Longhorns will host the Florida Gators (4-4) at noon in Austin.
The second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings will be released at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. Additional rankings will be revealed No. 19, Nov. 26, Dec. 3 and Dec. 8.
The first game of the College Football Playoff will be held Dec. 20. The national title game will be Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
“Every ranking matters, whether it’s Top 4, Top 12 or Top 25,” Manuel said. “Fans and teams deserve to know that the committee spent plenty of time talking about each team in the ranking. That is precisely what we did over the last two days.”
College Football Playoff rankings for Week 11
1. Oregon (9-0)
2. Ohio State (7-1)
3. Georgia (7-1)
4. Miami (9-0)
5. Texas (7-1)
6. Penn State (7-1)
7. Tennessee (7-1)
8. Indiana (9-0)
9. BYU (8-0)
10. Notre Dame (7-1)
11. Alabama (6-2)
12. Boise State (7-1)
13. SMU (8-1)
14. Texas A&M (7-2)
15. LSU (6-2)
16. Ole Miss (7-2)
17. Iowa State (7-1)
18. Pittsburgh (7-1)
19. Kansas State (7-2)
20. Colorado (6-2)
21. Washington State (7-1)
22. Louisville (6-3)
23. Clemson (6-2)
24. Missouri (6-2)
25. Army (8-0)
