Miami Holds Top Spot Ahead of First CFP Rankings Release

Miami sits in the No. 1 position for the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released at 7 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The Hurricanes maintain their lead following a 38-35 victory over unranked North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Saturday.

The win over the Tar Heels, coached by Bill Belichick, was close. Miami trailed 28-24 in the fourth quarter and outgained North Carolina by only nine yards, finishing with 416 total yards of offense compared to 407 for the Tar Heels. Despite the tight contest, the result secures Miami's place at the top of the initial field.

Georgia ranks second in the projected standings. The Bulldogs hold a 7-1 record and defeated Tennessee 62-10 in a recent SEC matchup. Alabama and Texas follow behind with 6-2 records. Both programs have split their recent conference games, with Alabama losing to Georgia and Texas falling to Mississippi.

Utah and UCLA occupy the third and fourth spots, respectively. Both teams are undefeated with 8-0 records. Utah defeated Cincinnati 94-52, while UCLA beat Nevada 27-0. Indiana enters the rankings at No. 5 with an 8-1 record after losing to Minnesota.

The first four rounds of the playoff will feature double elimination style brackets. The semifinals are scheduled for December 9. Boise State, ranked 12th with a 7-1 record, would host Indiana in the first round. Ole Miss, ranked 11th, would face Kentucky, while Texas hosts BYU and Alabama hosts Notre Dame.

The final CFP rankings will be released at noon on December 6. That release determines the 12-team field for the tournament. The committee weighs factors such as quality wins, recency, and transitive properties to finalize the order. Miami's performance against a ranked opponent in the fourth quarter was a key metric in their current standing.

Other teams in the top 12 include Kentucky at No. 6, BYU at No. 7, and Notre Dame at No. 8. South Carolina sits at No. 12 with a 5-3 record, having lost to Oklahoma in their most recent game. The rankings reflect the current state of the season as the playoff begins in earnest.