Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State sit atop CFP rankings

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are the No. 1 team in the first College Football Playoff Rankings of the season. The Tuscaloosa News-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State sit atop initial CFP rankings

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Nov 24, 2020 7:52 PM ET

The four teams expected to be atop the initial College Football Playoff rankings announced on Tuesday landed in those slots.

As Adam Rittenberg noted for ESPN, the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) are No. 1, followed by the 8-0 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 7-1 Clemson Tigers, who fell to Notre Dame on Nov. 7 without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence (COVID-19) in the lineup that Saturday evening, are No. 3. That left the 4-0 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 4 and possessing the final playoff berth heading into Thanksgiving weekend.

The 5-1 Texas A&M Aggies and 6-1 Florida Gators round out the top six. The Cincinnati Bearcats (8-0) and Northwestern Wildcats (5-0) are two surprising unbeaten teams that make up the remainder of the top eight and that are well within reach of the coveted spots, depending on what happens over the final weeks of a season unlike any other.

Take a look at the full #CFBPlayoff Top 25 rankings for games played through November 21.

Is your team in?

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— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 25, 2020

Ohio State and fellow Big Ten teams didn't begin their seasons until the weekend of Oct. 24 because the conference originally postponed its campaign until at least January due to the coronavirus pandemic. That fact coupled with Ohio State beating the Indiana Hoosiers 42-35 this past Saturday may have dropped the Buckeyes to fourth overall.

The selection committee will release future playoff rankings every Tuesday through Dec. 15, with the final rankings set to be unveiled Dec. 20 following conference title games.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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