The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has released its first set of Top 25 rankings, and undefeated Clemson finds itself inside the four-team playoff.
The Tigers (8-0, 6-0 ACC) are ranked No. 4 in the first CFP ranking of the 2022 season, the selection committee announced Tuesday night on ESPN.
Nine weeks into the season, No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Clemson are projected to make the four-team playoff, per the committee.
The committee ranked Clemson ahead of No. 5 Michigan, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 TCU, three teams with similar resumes which had all been projected into the No. 4 spot by various media outlets.
Clemson (8-0, 6-0 ACC) enters this weekend’s game at Notre Dame as one of six undefeated teams remaining in college football and the only team in the country with three wins against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25.
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has been tasked since 2014 with ranking and ultimately matching the No. 1 and No. 4 teams and No. 2 and No. 3 teams in semifinal games that rotate annually among six major bowls.
This season, the CFP will release updated rankings each Tuesday of November before issuing its final rankings on Sunday, Dec. 4, also known as Selection Day.
The Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., and the Peach Bowl in Atlanta will host this season’s playoff semifinals on December 31, 2022, with SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles set to host the national championship game on Jan. 9, 2023.
First College Football Playoff ranking of 2022
— No. 1: Tennessee (8-0)
— No. 2: Ohio State (8-0)
— No. 3: Georgia (8-0)
— No. 4: Clemson (8-0)
— No. 5: Michigan (8-0)
— No. 6: Alabama (7-1)
— No. 7: TCU (8-0)
— No. 8: Oregon (7-1)
— No. 9: Southern Cal (7-1)
— No. 10: LSU (6-2)
— No. 11: Ole Miss (8-1)
— No. 12: UCLA (7-1)
— No. 13: Kansas State (6-2)
— No. 14: Utah (6-2)
— No. 15: Penn State (6-2)
— No. 16: Illinois (7-1)
— No. 17: North Carolina (7-1)
— No. 18: Oklahoma State (6-2)
— No. 19: Tulane (7-1)
— No. 20: Syracuse (6-2)
— No. 21: Wake Forest (6-2)
— No. 22: NC State (6-2)
— No. 23: Oregon State (6-2)
— No. 24: Texas (5-3)
— No. 25: UCF (6-2)
