Two-time defending national champion Georgia isn’t viewed as the best team in the nation entering November.
Ohio State (8-0) was the No. 1 squad in the initial College Football Playoff rankings of the season, unveiled Tuesday night at Grapevine, Texas.
Georgia (8-0), which owns the nation’s longest-active winning streak at 25 games, was selected No. 2.
CFP selection committee chair Boo Corrigan cited Ohio State’s wins over Penn State and Notre Dame, a highly-ranked defense and stars like wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as part of the committee’s decision-making.
“As we looked at it, we came to the conclusion as a group that Ohio State deserved to be No. 1,” Corrigan said on ESPN.
No. 3 Michigan (8-0) and No. 4 Florida State (8-0) were the other teams to land a top-four spot in the first look at the four-team playoff.
The Bulldogs defeated Ohio State 42-41 in last season’s CFP semifinals.
But the Buckeyes are looking the best now in the eyes of the selection committee. Ohio State has recorded five victories by 20 or more points this season and also beat two teams that were in the top 10 at the time — Notre Dame and Penn State.
The biggest test comes Nov. 25 when Ohio State visits Michigan in a Big Ten showdown.
Georgia also has five 20-point wins this season.
No. 5 Washington (8-0) and No. 6 Oregon (7-1) of the Pac-12 were the first two teams out. Washington owns the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 15 games and handed the Ducks their lone loss.
“It’s an initial (ranking),” Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer told ESPN. “There is a lot of football to be played. From our standout, we’ve done what we’re supposed to do by winning all our football games.”
Corrigan said the selection committee wasn’t all that enthralled in Washington’s performances in its last two games — a 15-7 home win over Arizona State and a 42-33 road victory over Stanford.
Washington was the odd team out in terms of the five unbeaten teams, and Corrigan said the committee correctly identified the right order.
“(All) 13 of us came to the conclusion that this is the right order for the top four,” said Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State.
Corrigan said the committee didn’t consider the fact that Michigan is currently dealing with a sign-stealing scandal. He said it was an NCAA issue and not part of the CFP process.
“Our job is to rank the teams and follow our protocols and that wasn’t part of any of the discussion that occurred here,” Corrigan said.
Texas (7-1) is No. 7 with Alabama (7-1), Oklahoma (7-1) and Ole Miss (7-1) rounding out the Top 10.
Penn State (7-1) is No. 11, followed by Missouri (7-1), Louisville (7-1), LSU (6-2) and Notre Dame (7-2).
Oregon State (6-2) is No. 16 with fellow Pac-12 teams Utah (No. 18, 6-2), UCLA (No. 19, 6-2) and Southern California (No. 20, 7-2) close behind. Tennessee (6-2) is No. 17.
Big 12 teams are Nos. 21-23 — Kansas, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, each 6-2.
Tulane (7-1) of the American Athletic Conference is No. 24 and Air Force (8-0) of the Mountain West is No. 25. They are the two highest-ranked non-power conference teams in the battle for a New Year’s Six bowl game.