First College Football Playoff Poll To Be Released November 3
As the calendars flip to November and the clocks turn back to standard time, the nine week college football audition period has finally ended. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will release its first poll of the season on November 3.
For the second year in a row, the committee dropped from 13 to 12 members, as Southern Cal athletic director Pat Haden stepped down from his position last week.
The committee will release their weekly rankings every Tuesday for the remainder of the regular season up until the final college football playoff rankings on December 6. These final rankings will determine the four teams participating in the second annual playoff as well as the other eight teams participating in the New Year’s Six bowls.
Notes of Interest:
-Last year’s eventual national champion, Ohio State, debuted at No. 16 in the first CFP poll a year
ago.
-Only one of the eventual top four teams last year (No. 2 Florida State) was in the top four in the
inaugural poll, validating the fluidity of these rankings.
-One of the “Group of Five” conference teams is guaranteed a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl. No.
20 Boise State represented the little guys admirably last year with a victory over No. 10 Arizona
in the Fiesta Bowl.
-Memphis, Houston and Toledo remain the only three unbeaten “Group of Five” schools after
Temple's loss to Notre Dame Saturday night.
Key Games Remaining:
Baylor at TCU: The defending Big-12 co-champions meet in what will likely be a de-facto conference championship game on November 27. The lone loss last year for the Horned Frogs came in a 61-58 comeback victory for Baylor last year in Waco, which likely kept TCU out of the final four.
Michigan State at Ohio State: The defending champions face their toughest test of the season as they welcome the undefeated Spartans to the Horseshoe on November 21st. The Buckeyes knocked Michigan State out of playoff contention last year en route to their title run. Keep in mind that neither team has lost since their meeting a season ago.
LSU at Alabama: Riding star tailback Leonard Fournette, the Tigers have emerged as the only remaining unbeaten team in the SEC. With a win November 7 in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers put themselves in prime position for a playoff berth. Alabama can insert itself back into contention for a second straight CFP invitation and SEC title if they can find a way to stop the Tigers.
The Top 4 Right Now:
1. Ohio State (8-0): Quarterback J.T. Barrett has been suspended for the Minnesota game after an OVI arrest. If anything, this reignites the quarterback controversy for Urban Meyer’s squad if Cardale Jones has a strong showing.
2. TCU (8-0): With Seth Russell’s season-ending neck injury for Baylor, the Horned Frogs appear like the Big-12 frontrunners. The toughest part of their schedule is yet to come, with games against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor looming.
3. LSU (8-0): The Leonard Fournette show has a chance for a statement victory in Tuscaloosa Saturday night. A win over the Tide puts them in great shape for their first SEC West title in four years.
4. Clemson (8-0): A win over Notre Dame remains the best non-conference win for any ACC team. The Tigers likely only have one true hurdle left to climb as they welcome Florida State to Death Valley this weekend, a team that has beaten them in three straight meetings.
On the Outside Looking In:
Alabama (7-1), Michigan State (8-0), Notre Dame (7-1), Stanford (7-1), Florida (7-1)
Tom Shively is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. You can contact him at shivelyt97@gmail.com.
