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The College Football Playoff selection committee has released its first Top 25 of the season, kicking off five weeks of weekly rankings leading up to Selection Sunday. Drawing from last season’s controversial finish—where Miami ultimately jumped Notre Dame—the initial rankings demonstrate how internal committee debates and proprietary metrics will drive college football discussion.
The SEC’s Lobbying Success
Over the past two years, the SEC actively lobbied for new metrics to be introduced, and that effort paid off with the implementation of a strength-of-conference rating. This new data point served as a significant buoy for the conference, resulting in all six two-loss SEC teams ranking higher than they do in the AP and coaches polls. Notably, two-loss programs like Alabama at No. 5 and Texas at No. 7 sit ahead of undefeated UCLA at No. 8, while the SEC boasts the highest-ranked two-loss and three-loss teams, including No. 21 South Carolina.
Although the CFP initially described this metric as an enhancement rather than a primary differentiator, it functioned as the main dividing line between SEC programs and the rest of the country on Tuesday. If this metric maintains its weight through the end of the season, fans from competing conferences can expect to be frustrated.
Notre Dame and Ohio State Face Discontent
Notre Dame opened at No. 11, sitting a full seven spots lower than its AP poll position due to what the committee called a lack of a signature win. CFP selection chairman Hunter Yurachek noted that while the Fighting Irish have a narrow margin for error, a victory against No. 1 Miami this week would likely push them into the top five. Meanwhile, Ohio State found itself at No. 12 as the first team out of the playoff field, despite holding a head-to-head win over reigning national champion Indiana, which debuted at No. 4.
Yurachek explained that the committee never reached a point where they compared Indiana and Ohio State directly in their head-to-head matchup. This leaves the Buckeyes on the outside looking in, despite holding strong strength of record and schedule metrics.
Underrated Teams and Conference Discrepancies
Alabama debuted at No. 5 despite a resume featuring a road win at Kentucky and a 2-2 record against teams in the CFP Top 25, raising questions about how the committee evaluates signature wins. Similarly, an undefeated UCLA squad sits at No. 8, five spots behind undefeated Utah, despite holding a slightly better strength of schedule.
At the bottom of the discussion, New Mexico stands as the sole AP-ranked team (No. 22) to miss the CFP Top 25 entirely. The Mountain West program was left out despite having just one loss, which came by a touchdown on the road against Oklahoma from the SEC.
