OSU Debuts at No. 11 in College Football Playoff Rankings

November 2, 2021

Finally, a ranking that actually matters. Finally, a starting point.

The College Football Playoff committee released its first ranking of the 2021 season on Tuesday night and the Cowboys are currently on the outside looking in — but not too far out. Oklahoma State came in at No. 11, tying for the highest the Cowboys have debuted in this ranking since 2017. The Cowboys are also No. 11 in both the AP and Coaches poll.

Here’s a look at the full ranking, starting with the current top 4. (Don’t worry. I won’t tease you like ESPN.)

Rank Team 
1 Georgia
2 Alabama
3 Michigan State
4 Oregon
5 Ohio State
6 Cincinnati
7 Michigan
8 Oklahoma
9 Wake Forest
10 Notre Dame
11 Oklahoma State
12 Baylor
13 Auburn
14 Texas A&M
15 BYU
16 Ole Miss
17 Mississippi State
18 Kentucly
19 NC State
20 Minnesota
21 Wisconsin
22 Iowa
23 Fresno State
24 San Diego State
25 Pittsburgh

That makes three Big 12 teams in the ranking with the Cowboys owning a one-spot edge over Baylor after winning the head-to-head. Somewhat surprisingly, the only 9-0 team in the country, Oklahoma, is No. 8. The Sooners have been sporadic so far this year but are still in control of their own destiny.

The Cincinnati ranking is, well, interesting and could have an effect on the brand name of the future Big 12. With bell-cow/calf Oklahoma and Texas moseying off toward greener southeast pastures, adding a recent CFP Final Four could have helped quite a bit. With the undefeated Bearcats on the outside looking in, they do not control their own destiny. It is the highest CFP ranking ever by a non-Power conference team, beating out Cincinnati last year at 7.

The Cowboys have been included in five of the last six years by the committee, only missing out in 2014 and 2018 since its inception. Their initial ranking each season is highlighted below.

Year Week Ranking
2015 9 14
2015 10 8
2015 11 6
2015 12 11
2015 13 17
2015 Final 16
2016 9 18
2016 10 13
2016 11 11
2016 12 10
2016 13 10
2016 Final 12
2017 9 11
2017 10 15
2017 11 13
2017 12 19
2017 13 19
2017 Final 19
2019 9 23
2019 10 22
2019 11 21
2019 12 21
2019 13 25
2019 Final 25
2020 10 23
2020 11 15
2020 12 22
2020 13 21
2020 Final 21

The post OSU Debuts at No. 11 in College Football Playoff Rankings appeared first on Pistols Firing.