CFB is constantly evolving. As we were growing accustomed to athletes being compensated for their NIL, the CFB Playoff was also altered. The antiquated BCS format had been replaced by the four-team system in 2012. Fans were curious about the potential increase in teams for the championship series from two to four. Then the ultimate answer given was 2024. The 4-team field will grow to twelve teams in 2024 for the very first time, and the initial College Football Playoff rankings were announced on Tuesday, November 5, with a significant shift anticipated this year. Safe to say, Joel Klatt’s selections out further enhance the ranking list’s substance.

Big 10 rivals Oregon, ranked first, and Ohio State, ranked second, took the top two slots in these rankings. However, the Ducks are predicted to receive the Big 10s’ automatic bid as conference champions and a first-round bye, while the Ohio State selects the fifth seed. If you are not aware, the Buckeyes are ranked No.2 in the actual team poll. Alongside, with No. 4, Hurricanes and No. 9 BYU completing the field at the top, that allows No. 3 Georgia to take the 2-seed. And Broncos is ranked and seeded at No.12. Now the question remains as per Joel Klatt, “Is that a better position for Ohio State at 5 than Oregon at 1 or Miami at 3?“ “Because Oregon at 1 would play the winner of Tennessee, Indiana, and Miami at three plays the winner of Texas Alabama.” according to him.

Clarifying the whole scenario for Ryan Day’s Buckeyes he stated, “That’s a terrible spot to be in if you’re Miami and if you’re Ohio State, you’ve got to look at that and think to yourself, man, this is a decent path for us. Maybe that’s minimizing BYU and maybe I shouldn’t do that, but I would just throw that out there. That five seed could be a really coveted spot when we’re talking about a format with 12 teams and four buys and those four.” It indicates among the contenders, the Buckeyes have one of the simplest routes to the semifinals. With multiple wins over inferior teams prior to taking on more formidable rivals like Penn State and Michigan, their schedule has been less demanding.

However, at this stage of the season, the bracket is still merely a projection, and the top 4 seeds won’t be confirmed until squads begin to win their league titles. Therefore, the final picks are announced after Sunday’s selection. But wait, there’s still some questioning over where the real college football playoff rankings poll stands. Let’s have a look at it.

College Football Playoff rankings

In addition to the Oregon, who are ranked first, Ohio State, Georgia, and Miami are placed second, third and fourth, respectively. Furthermore, the Longhorns are ranked fifth. As of now, sixth-ranked Nittany, seventh-ranked Vols, eighth-ranked Indiana, ninth-ranked BYU, and tenth-ranked Notre Dame.

Next in line are the Broncos at number 12 and the Crimson Tide at number 11. “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,” stated Warde Manuel, the chair of the playoff committee. At this point in the season, it appears that CFB fans will be engaged with the subject of playoff rankings.

But for now, how do you feel about the standings for the college football playoffs? Is it true that the Buckeyes have the easier position? Share your ideas in the comment section.