Kentucky one of seven SEC teams in first College Football Playoff rankings this season
The University of Kentucky football team debuted at No. 18 in the initial rankings shared by the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday night.
Kentucky was the lowest ranked of seven teams from the Southeastern Conference in the first rankings of the 2021 season. UK fell to 6-2 after suffering its second straight loss of the season on Saturday at Mississippi State, which was ranked one spot ahead of the Wildcats at No. 17 despite having one more loss (5-3).
Georgia, the No. 1 team in The Associated Press and coaches polls, was the top-ranked team by the committee. Alabama, which is 7-1, was ranked No. 2. Michigan State (No. 3) and Oregon (No. 4) rounded out the top four squads.
Ohio State and Cincinnati were ranked No. 5 and No. 6.
Also ranked from the SEC were: No. 13 Auburn, No. 14 Texas A&M and No. 16 Ole Miss.
Kentucky’s chances of actually making the CFP — which involves four teams — probably ended after losing at Mississippi State on Saturday, but its standing in the final rankings will have bearing on bowl positioning. The Sugar Bowl will invite the SEC champion or the highest-ranked team in the final CFP list, whichever is relevant. Obviously, Kentucky won’t be the SEC champion, so making the Sugar Bowl at this point hinges on Alabama qualifying for the playoff and the Wildcats leaping four other teams in the league in the rankings.
The Atlantic Coast Conference champion and the highest-ranked “Group of Five” team — a team from a school outside of the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 — are guaranteed one of the at-large spots available to teams in the Fiesta and Peach Bowls this year if they finish outside the top four. That means, unless Cincinnati and/or Wake Forest (or whoever the ACC champion ends up being) can reach the CFP’s top four, there will be only two at-large spots available in those games.
Several SEC teams ranked ahead of Kentucky have to play one another, so those positions will change. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play each other at the end of the regular season and are likely to meet in the Big 12 championship game the next week, so they’ll move around as well. As things stand, though, Kentucky seems like a long shot to play in a “New Year’s Six” bowl game.
UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart is one of the members of the CFP committee. He is serving the first year of a three-year term, and can’t be involved in any discussions about Kentucky’s ranking or postseason destination.
College Football Playoff rankings (Nov. 2)
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. Kentucky
19. North Carolina State
20. Minnesota
21. Wisconsin
22. Iowa
23. Fresno State
24. San Diego State
25. Pittsburgh
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 7:27 PM.
