Unbeaten Miami Ranked No. 1 in First CFP Top 25

Miami sits at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night. The unbeaten Hurricanes lead a field that includes Georgia at No. 2, Utah at No. 3, Indiana at No. 4, and Alabama at No. 5. Kentucky, Texas, UCLA, BYU, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Ohio State complete the top 12. This initial list sets the stage for a bracket where the top four teams receive first-round byes.

The selection committee, led by chair Hunter Yurachek, noted the parity across the first eight weeks of the season. Yurachek said there would be a significant amount of movement within the top 25. He described the task as difficult, given the close margins of victory across the country. The final rankings will be announced on December 6.

Notre Dame, currently No. 11, faces a critical test on Saturday against Miami. The Fighting Irish have not beaten a ranked team this season. They need a win to avoid missing the playoff for the second straight year. Yurachek praised Notre Dame as a very good football team on both sides of the ball. However, he pointed out that the Irish lack a signature win against a team currently ahead of them in the rankings.

Ohio State, ranked No. 12, dropped from its previous standing after a 30-18 loss to USC. The Buckeyes played without injured quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely after a throwing arm injury. Freshman Luke Fahey threw for 260 yards and one touchdown in his first start. The defense allowed more points than it had in its previous 31 games. Yurachek said the committee still respects the team but noted they did not look like their previous selves against Southern California.

Indiana, the defending national champion, secured a top-four spot despite recent struggles. The Hoosiers lost 19-15 to Ohio State on October 17. Their last three victories came by seven points or less, including overtime wins against Michigan and Minnesota. The team has not defeated a ranked opponent and played only FCS and non-Power 4 nonconference opponents.

Alabama made the top five after losing consecutive games to Georgia and Tennessee in October. The Crimson Tide hold wins over Kentucky and South Carolina, both top-25 teams. They have the seventh-most difficult schedule in the FBS. The committee ranked Alabama above Kentucky due to their head-to-head result, despite Tennessee beating Alabama 26-10 on October 17. Yurachek said the committee also credited Alabama for its 56-23 win at Mississippi State when the Bulldogs were undefeated.

Miami has shown defensive weaknesses recently. The Hurricanes allowed 850 yards of offense in their last two games. They ranked 122nd in the FBS in pass defense, allowing 252 yards per game. Miami needed two overtimes to beat Florida State 43-35 on October 17. Last week, they survived a 38-35 victory at North Carolina by recovering an onside kick in the final two minutes. If they beat Notre Dame, they will have home games against Duke, Virginia Tech, and Boston College remaining.

The first-round games will be played on December 18 and 19 at the home campus of the higher-seeded teams. Quarterfinals will occur on December 30 and January 1 at the Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Peach Bowl. Semifinals are set for January 14 and 15 at the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The national championship game is scheduled for January 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.