The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its first of six rankings on Tuesday night, revealing how contenders for the 12-team field stack up. After two months of evaluation, the 13-member committee begins deliberating Monday and finishes Tuesday around lunch. With many teams already holding multiple losses, Tuesday's ranking could be particularly difficult. The committee's task remains: "Select the best teams, rank the teams for inclusion in the playoff, and then assign the teams to the playoff bracket."
Miami Hurricanes (8-0) sit as the likely top seed. With two Heisman candidates in quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney, plus four ACC road wins and a top Strength of Record metric, the Canes present a strong case for the committee's top spot. However, questions remain about strength of schedule. If Miami loses to Notre Dame, it could still make the playoff as ACC champion, but a Wake Forest upset in the ACC title game could open the door for two ACC teams.
Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) enter as the likely top one-loss team. Wins against Alabama and Florida, combined with talent on film, support their placement. However, a home loss to Auburn and a weak early schedule strength could hurt. How the committee values Georgia's Oct. 10 win at Alabama will be key, especially with BYU's head-to-head win against Notre Dame providing strong competition.
The guessing game ends Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, as the committee finally reveals the top 12 for the expanded playoff field.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing