Tennessee, Georgia or a Big Ten team? Who should be No. 1 in CFP rankings? | Toppmeyer
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2022 season will be released Tuesday evening, and some fresh faces could appear near the top of the list.
Tennessee (8-0, 4-0 SEC) has not been ranked by the CFP committee since 2016, while TCU has not appeared in the CFP rankings since 2017. Each will be ranked within the top 10, while the Vols are among a shortlist of teams that should be considered for No. 1.
Six undefeated teams remain.
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Too much will be made of these initial rankings. Much of controversy will be settled on the field these next five weeks. Still, better to be ranked toward the top than not.
Here’s how I would rank the top eight teams:
1. Tennessee (8-0)
I waffled between the Vols and Georgia. No need to overthink it, considering these teams will meet Saturday in Athens. I gave the edge to the Vols for a couple of reasons: They’ve played a tougher schedule than Georgia, and they possess the nation’s best quarterback in Hendon Hooker. Tennessee’s top victory, a 52-49 triumph over Alabama, is the best win in all of college football this season. Plus, the Vols routed LSU on the road. Tennessee continues to improve, too. UT used a solid performance from all three phases in a rout of Kentucky on Saturday. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (14 touchdowns) joins Hooker in giving the Vols two candidates for the Heisman Trophy.
2. Georgia (8-0)
Georgia profiles as the nation’s most well-rounded team. The Bulldogs rank No. 2 nationally in scoring defense and No. 6 in scoring offense. Other than UT’s victory against Alabama, nobody has a better win than Georgia’s neutral-site romp of Oregon in the season opener. After that, though, Georgia’s schedule has been somewhat squishy. Georgia boasts an ironclad secondary, which will make Saturday’s game against Tennessee, with its national No. 1 offense, a test of strength on strength. Georgia’s combination of Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington have made tight ends stylish again.
3. Ohio State (8-0)
The Buckeyes trailed Notre Dame and Penn State at halftime before rising to the moment in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, they’ve routed inferior foes. OSU boasts the nation’s best wide receiving corps, and it will improve if Jaxon Smith-Njigba can get healthy. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka have taken up the torch. The backfield is talented, too. Quarterback C.J. Stroud joins Hooker as the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Stroud was very good in Saturday’s win against Penn State. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau was even better. His interception returned for a touchdown and a strip-sack helped the Buckeyes escape an upset. An improved defense makes OSU tougher than last year’s group that went 11-2.
4. Michigan (8-0)
Jim Harbaugh made the tough but necessary decision to transition from senior quarterback Cade McNamara to sophomore J.J. McCarthy, and it has made the Wolverines tougher. But running back Blake Corum drives the offense. Like OSU, Michigan’s best win came against Penn State. The Wolverines played one of the easiest nonconference schedules in the country. Michigan’s defense isn’t as imposing without Aidan Hutchinson, but it continues to rank among the nation’s best units. The Wolverines are stout against the run and consistently pressure quarterbacks.
5. TCU (8-0)
If you look at résumé and not the name on the jersey, TCU should be ranked ahead of the two teams I have listed next. The Frogs’ impressive win sheet includes Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Kansas, plus a rout of Oklahoma. If not for the splendid seasons by Hooker and Stroud, TCU’s Max Duggan would be considered a Heisman frontrunner. Running back Kendre Miller and wide receiver Quentin Johnson are stars, too. A mediocre defense keeps TCU from joining the elite teams I have ranked ahead of it.
6. Clemson (8-0)
Clemson walked the tightrope in victories against Wake Forest, Florida State and Syracuse. This is far from Dabo Swinney’s best team, and D.J. Uiagalelei is far from the best quarterback this Clemson dynasty has seen. Is Uiagalelei the best quarterback on this roster? We don’t know, because Swinney is unwilling to pivot to five-star freshman Cade Klubnik. Clemson’s best asset is running back Will Shipley, whose standout performances allowed Clemson to escape with victories against the aforementioned Wake Forest, FSU and Syracuse. A mediocre ACC may allow Clemson to go undefeated – although look out next week at Notre Dame.
7. Alabama (7-1)
Bryce Young remains brilliant. As long as the reigning Heisman winner is slinging passes and dancing away from pass rushers, Alabama has a shot at the CFP. Jahmyr Gibbs joins Young to give the Tide two offensive stars, but Alabama isn’t as loaded as usual. The defense is better than last season, but not the caliber of defense we’ve seen at times throughout Nick Saban’s dynasty. Atypical deficiencies hamper Alabama. The receiving corps lacks a star, and drops plague the group. The secondary is not up to Alabama’s standard, either. Penalties and special teams blunders have been an issue. Alabama's best wins are against Arkansas, Mississippi State and Texas. None of those teams are currently ranked.
8. Oregon (7-1)
Think Auburn would like Bo Nix back? The transfer is flourishing against Pac-12 competition. If only Oregon could redo its season opener against Georgia. It’s not that the Ducks lost that game. It’s that they were routed. If the CFP committee must choose between Oregon or a one-loss SEC team, that lopsided result will loom large. To Oregon’s credit, it bounced back, and Nix is a key reason why. Reunited with former Auburn offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, Nix’s dual-threat abilities have come to fruition. A win against UCLA boosted Oregon's résumé, but the Ducks will need to run the table and get help elsewhere to reach the playoff. They’re the only team listed here that cannot make the playoff by simply winning out.
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State or Michigan? Who should be No. 1 in CFP?
