Alabama second, followed by Notre Dame and Clemson.
NEW YORK — A couple of games played during week two of the season had a major effect on the first College Football Playoff rankings.
Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson were the top four teams in the selection committee’s initial top 25 released Tuesday night.
Oklahoma, Ohio State and Penn State were next as the committee members let head-to-head results and strength of schedule be their guide. The final rankings that will determine the participants in the College Football Playoff semifinals come out Dec. 3.
Georgia and Alabama, Southeastern Conference rivals, are both 8-0 and have been dominating their competition. The Bulldogs’ one close game was at Notre Dame in September, a 20-19 victory.
Committee chairman Kirby Hocutt, the athletic director for Texas Tech, said the Bulldogs had a slight edge over the Crimson Tide because of their victory against the Irish on Sept. 9.
The Fighting Irish (7-1) have not lost since, including blowouts of Michigan State (24th), Southern California (17th) and North Carolina State (20th). Hocutt noted those three victories against teams in the committee’s top 25, along with the close lose to Georgia as the reason for the Irish being the highest ranked in a group of one-loss teams from three to seven.
On the same night Georgia beat Notre Dame, Oklahoma went to Columbus, Ohio, and beat the Buckeyes 31-16.
“For the teams five through seven, their head-to-head results were very important to the committee,” Hocutt said.
Ohio State (7-1) rallied to beat Penn State (7-1) last Saturday, 39-38.
In the AP Top 25, Ohio State was No. 3, Penn State No. 7 and Oklahoma was No. 8. Those rankings had some Sooners wondering if the committee would do something similar. They were happy to find out that was not the case.
“We all just watched it as a team just now,” Oklahoma linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo said. “We were all just jumping around yelling. Everybody’s hungry. We feel like our foot’s in the door, so we want to go ahead and make it happen.”
Clemson (7-1), the defending national champion, and Alabama have been ranked in the initial top four of the by the selection committee each of the last three seasons. The Tigers and Tide played for the last two national titles, with each winning one.
Over the first three seasons of the playoff, a total of five teams have been ranked in the top four of the initial ranking and gone on to reach the semifinals: Florida State (which was second) in 2014; Clemson (first) and Alabama (fourth) in 2015; and Alabama (first) and Clemson (second) in 2016.
The rest of the top 10 was TCU at eight, followed by unbeatens Wisconsin and Miami.
Coach Dave Clawson said the two players won’t play Saturday but their injuries are not season-ending, do not require surgery and “hopefully we’ll have them in a couple weeks.”
Coach Gus Malzahn said Pettway was diagnosed last Friday during the open week with a fractured scapula. He was hurt late in the game against Arkansas. The 16th-ranked Tigers visit Texas A&M Saturday.
Malzahn says the injury isn’t expected to require surgery. He didn’t give an expected time frame for Pettway’s return.
Pettway led the SEC in rushing yards per game last season. He has missed three games this season and been limited in others with plantar fasciitis.
Pettway has run for 305 yards and six touchdowns.
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