This article was written by Ralph D. Russo, a writer for the Associated Press who covers college football.

The University of Michigan is facing an ongoing NCAA investigation as they approach the last month of the season as a top contender for the national championship. However, the selection committee for the College Football Playoff has stated that this investigation will not impact their evaluation of the Wolverines.

On Tuesday evening, the initial CFP rankings for the season were released, with Ohio State at the top spot, followed by Georgia, Michigan, and Florida State. The unbeaten teams of Washington and their Pac-12 competitor, Oregon, were ranked after them.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is looking into a situation where Michigan may have participated in a sign-stealing plan that involved unauthorized on-site scouting.

Boo Corrigan, the chair of the selection committee and the athletic director at North Carolina State, stated that the accusations against Michigan were not a factor in the discussion of the team’s ranking. He clarified that it was a matter for the NCAA to handle, rather than the College Football Playoff committee.

No one knows what happened, according to Bill Hancock, the executive director of CFP. The NCAA is currently addressing allegations and the committee’s decisions are based on on-field events. It is clear that Michigan has been a strong team.

Warde Manuel, the athletic director for Michigan, is included in the 13-person selection committee.

According to Hancock, there was no indication that there would be any changes to Warde’s role on the committee. He was actively participating in the meeting for the past two days, as per usual.

The committee has a policy that prevents Manuel from participating in discussions regarding the ranking of Michigan.

Hancock stated that Warde has maintained his credibility since joining the committee.

The Buckeyes (8-0) are No. 1 in for the fourth time in the 10-year history of the CFP, and the first time since 2019. Victories over Penn State and Notre Dame, both ranked in the CFP’s top-15, bolstered Ohio State’s case, Corrigan said.

Georgia (8-0) and Michigan (8-0), who have both won the past two years, have consistently held the top spots in the Associated Press college football rankings since the beginning of the season. However, their relatively weak schedules have negatively affected their rankings with the 13-person selection committee.

“Florida State (8-0) has returned to the top four of the CFP rankings for the first time since the 2014 season.”

Earlier this season, Washington (8-0) defeated Oregon (7-1). Both teams still have USC and Oregon State, who are currently ranked, remaining on their schedule as the Pac-12 aims to end a six-year playoff drought.

According to an interview with ESPN, Washington coach Kalen DeBoer stated that currently in the Pac-12, there are no guaranteed victories from any team.

In the rankings, Texas (7-1) was placed in seventh position, while Alabama (7-1) was behind them. Although Texas defeated Alabama, they were defeated by Oklahoma (7-1), who was ranked ninth.

The initial of six rankings establishes the foundation for a month of examination on the leading teams and their accomplishments.

The ultimate standings will be announced on December 3rd, following the conference championship games. These games will determine the four teams that will compete in the playoff, with the semifinals taking place at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The national championship game will be held on January 8th in Houston.

This will be the last season utilizing this playoff structure before it increases to include 12 teams.

Four is the magic number for now and just once have the initial CFP rankings revealed the eventual playoff field. That was 2020, the pandemic season, which was far from normal in so many ways.

In the previous year, Tennessee held the top spot in the committee’s rankings, with Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson following closely behind. However, only Georgia and Ohio State were selected to participate in the playoff.

In total, 21 out of 36 teams (58%) who have been included in the initial CFP rankings of a season have advanced to the playoff.

Out of the 36 teams that have qualified for the playoffs in the past nine years, 29 of them began in the top six.

In 2014, Ohio State had the most challenging journey to the College Football Playoff, starting at 16th place in the committee’s initial ranking. Similarly, in 2015, Oklahoma was ranked 15th in the first rankings and still managed to qualify for the playoff.

The top-rated teams from non-Power Five conferences were Tulane at 24th and undefeated Air Force at No. 25. The highest ranked conference champion from a non-Power Five conference is eligible for a spot in a prestigious New Year’s Six game.

The committee is not considering James Madison, who has not lost a game, because the Dukes are in their second year of transitioning to the highest level of Division I and are unable to compete in the postseason due to NCAA regulations.

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Track Ralph D. Russo on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and tune in to http://www.appodcasts.com. Receive notifications for the newest AP Top 25 rankings during the season. Register here.

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The AP has released the latest rankings for college football teams. You can find them at https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.

Source: wralsportsfan.com