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SALT LAKE CITY — In the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, Utah made the cut in the initial Top 25 that was released Tuesday on ESPN.
Utah enters the Top 25 rankings at No. 15, one spot higher than its ranking of No. 16 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll that was released Sunday. Utah State, which is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll, failed to make it into their first College Football Playoff rankings.
The selection committee has included Utah in four of the last five seasons, with Utah only missing out in the 2017 rankings after a 7-6 rebuilding season. Utah’s highest spot in the rankings is No. 10, which came in Week 10 of the 2015 season.
The Utes are one of only two teams selected from the Pac-12 to be included in this year’s rankings. Washington State leads the conference at No. 8 and has currently the best opportunity for the Pac-12 to qualify for one of four coveted playoff spots. Washington, which has faltered as of late, failed to be included in the rankings.
Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens, who serves as the selection committee’s chair, told media in a teleconference that Washington State’s “dynamic offense with a quarterback that’s had a real positive impact” and key wins over Utah and USC were factors in giving the Cougars received the high ranking.
The Pac-12 has been absent from the playoffs in two of the last four seasons and is at risk of missing in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever. Only Washington (2016 - semifinals loss) and Oregon (2014 - championship game loss) have qualified for the playoffs in the 5-year ranking system.
Alabama enters the season’s first rankings at No. 1 and the most likely team to qualify for one of four playoff spots. Behind the Crimson Tide is No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Michigan. The Top 5 will likely see some shakeup this week, though, as Alabama and LSU play Saturday.
“One reason one-loss LSU is ranked No. 3 ahead of an undefeated Notre Dame is because they've beaten six teams with a winning record,” Mullens said. “Within the FBS, no other team in the country has that many victories against winning teams. They've played a strong schedule. By comparison, Notre Dame has three such wins.”
Mullens said the selection committee looks at each teams resume and the games played.
“We don't incent margin of victory, but we do watch the games and understand how they play out, so that is a part of the discussion.”
The College Football Playoff rankings are selected by a 13-member selection committee that is made up of five former head coaches, five acting athletic directors, two former football players and one former media member, who is now a professor at Arizona State.
The selection committee will release an updated Top 25 ranking each week on Tuesdays until Selection Sunday on Dec. 2.
The Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl will be the host of this year’s semifinal matchups, which will be played on Dec. 29. The national championship game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Jan. 7, 2019.
