Alabama Comes in No. 1 in First College Football Playoff Rankings, Notre Dame No. 2

No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas A&M round out the top five

Alabama Comes in No. 1 in First College Football Playoff Rankings, Notre Dame No. 2
Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Collegiate Images via Getty Imag

In the initial College Football Playoff rankings from the NCAA selection committee, the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) top the list followed by No. 2 Notre Dame (8-0), No. 3 Clemson (7-1) and No. 4 Ohio State (4-0).

Along with Alabama, the SEC has three more teams in the top 10: No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 6 Florida and No. 9 Georgia. 

“It’s definitely a challenge. We knew that coming in,” selection committee chair Gary Barta said of putting together the first set of rankings. “You’re evaluating teams that have played three games against teams that have played eight or nine games. We embraced the chaos.”

Typically, the 13-person selection committee starts ranking teams around Halloween and produces six rankings before the final ones that determine which teams will play in the semifinals and bowl games. This year, the final rankings are set to be released on December 20.

Alabama is No. 1 in the CFP rankings for a record 19th time. But, this is the first time the Crimson Tide have topped the CFP rankings since the final rankings of the 2018 season.

Despite the pandemic, the College Football Playoffs are set to take place as scheduled with the semifinals on January 1 in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl and the championship game on January 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.

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