The first College Football Playoff rankings: What we learned

In part because of their tough schedule, TreVeyon Henderson and Ohio State claimed the top spot in the first CFP ranking.

Georgia’s wins against Kentucky and Florida, while both unranked three-loss teams, were still more valuable in the meeting room than No. 3 Michigan’s best win, which is against 6-2 Rutgers. Undefeated Florida State earned the No. 4 spot, but it’s only win against a ranked opponent is No. 14 LSU. That could put some pressure on the Noles to remain perfect.

No. 6 Oregon is also the nation’s highest-ranked one-loss team, and No. 16 Oregon State, No. 18 Utah, No. 19 UCLA and No. 20 USC show the league’s depth. Much like last year, the Pac-12’s top contender will have a strong résumé because so many of the conference opponents are CFP top-25 teams. headtopics.com

The Ducks also still have to face USC and Oregon State, and it’s possible Washington and Oregon meet again in the Pac-12 title game.After a sluggish start in which Alabama lost in Week 2 to Texas and Georgia overcame some lackluster performances, the SEC is in a familiar position with the most top-10 teams of any Power 5 conference.

Of course, it could also be a Catch-22 and the Sooners could knock their Bedlam rivals out of the next ranking with a win. The same scenario could unfold for Texas, which faces No. 23 K-State at home Saturday. It’s certainly an upgrade over the scenario in which the only two Big 12 teams ranked were the ones that are leaving for the SEC next year.The ACC only has two ranked teams — No. 4 Florida State and No. 13 Louisville. They don’t play each other during the regular season. headtopics.com

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