Ohio State is No. 2.
After an 8-0 start to the season, the Buckeyes are the second-best team in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee behind Tennessee and in front of Georgia and Clemson in the top four. Michigan and Alabama are the first two teams out at No. 5 and No. 6.
The full rankings:
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 8-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 8-0 |
| 3 | Georgia | 8-0 |
| 4 | Clemson | 8-0 |
| 5 | Michigan | 8-0 |
| 6 | Alabama | 7-1 |
| 7 | TCU | 8-0 |
| 8 | Oregon | 7-1 |
| 9 | Southern California | 7-1 |
| 10 | LSU | 6-2 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 8-1 |
| 12 | UCLA | 7-1 |
| 13 | Kansas State | 6-2 |
| 14 | Utah | 6-2 |
| 15 | Penn State | 6-2 |
| 16 | Illinois | 7-1 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 7-1 |
| 18 | Oklahoma State | 6-2 |
| 19 | Tulane | 7-1 |
| 20 | Syracuse | 6-2 |
| 21 | Wake Forest | 6-2 |
| 22 | NC State | 6-2 |
| 23 | Oregon State | 6-2 |
| 24 | Texas | 5-3 |
| 25 | UCF | 6-2 |
College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Boo Corrigan said Tennessee, Ohio State and Georgia all received consideration for the No. 1 spot but Tennessee is atop the initial rankings because of its wins over Alabama and LSU, who are both in the top 10 of the initial rankings.
“When you look at the three teams, all three very, very good teams that the committee really liked, I think the two wins that you're looking at with Alabama and at LSU really sealed the day for Tennessee,” Corrigan said on ESPN.
As for Ohio State being ranked second above Georgia, Corrigan said the Buckeyes’ explosiveness on offense swayed the committee to slot them above the Bulldogs.
“I think the explosive nature of their offense at Ohio State – C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr. – the win over Penn State, the way they came back to win that game,” Corrigan said when explaining why the Buckeyes were ranked second. “Again very close, two well-balanced teams. At the end of the day, the committee decided that we would go with Ohio State No. 2 and Georgia No. 3.”
Ohio State's best wins of the year so far are the season opener against Notre Dame, who was ranked as the No. 5 team in the nation at the time of the game, and Saturday's 44-31 victory over then-ranked No. 13 Penn State in Happy Valley. Outside those contests, the Buckeyes were relatively unchallenged by their other six opponents.
In the next three weeks, Ohio State will face Northwestern, Indiana and Maryland before hosting Michigan in what would currently be a top-five matchup in the final game of the regular season.
