Winners, losers and a 12-team bracket

The College Football Playoff selection committee rewarded undefeated Tennessee with the top spot in its first rankings of the 2022 season. The Vols were followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No 3 Georgia and No 4 Clemson.

Georgia needs to win more than Tennessee on Saturday to have any chance of making the CFP. If Tennessee wins, it could finish the season 11-1 and still finish in the top four. Georgia has less margin for error at No. 3. If Georgia loses on the Saturday and doesn't win the SEC East, the team will have to hope to finish outside the Top 4 without winning its division.

Michigan needs to beat Ohio State to move up in the CFP rankings. The Wolverines' nonconference schedule was abysmal. Their only win against a CFA top 25 team is against No. 15 Penn State. Ohio's best win is at No., 16 Illinois.

No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 USC are ranked in the top 10. The Pac-12 hasn't had a team reach the CFP since Washington in 2016. There will be movement above them. TCU could make it if it beats Baylor and Texas. It's possible Alabama and Clemson lose before Selection Day. UCLA is also in contention. In 2014, Ohio State was No 16 in CFA's initial ranking and it went on to win the national title.

The undefeated TCU team needs to finish as an undefeated conference champion to have a shot at winning the Big 12. TCU's best wins are against No. 13 Kansas State and No 18 Oklahoma State.

The College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday.

TCU is ranked seventh in the country. TCU has had eight second-half drives when trailing this season. Michigan's seven-point win over Maryland impressed the committee.

The committee is looking at the team's record, not past seasons. TCU has four wins over teams that were ranked. The team has run 20 offensive plays in the fourth quarter when trailing. They are No. 3 in ESPN's strength of record.

The CFP committee didn't give TCU a lot of confidence. The opening rankings don't mean much, but they do set the stage. TCU needs to win more to change the committee's perceptions. For Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, Alabama and Ohio State, the season will determine who ends up in the top four. For TCU, it's not just about winning.

UCLA is ranked 12th. The Bruins have played two decent teams: Utah and Oregon State. They beat Utah.

Tulane is the top-ranked Group of Five team. Kansas State is ranked second.

Michigan is ranked fifth in the latest power rankings. The Wolverines' schedule is their undoing. Michigan cancelled a nonconference series with UCLA.

Texas is ranked 5th, while Florida State is unranked. Texas lost to Alabama, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, and Florida has lost three close games to three ranked teams.

No. 1 Tennessee is now the betting favorite to win the national championship. Ohio State is the second favorite at +190. Georgia and Alabama are third and fourth respectively. ESPN's writers see the semifinals going under the current ranking.

Andrea Adelson, Blake Baumgartner, Kyle Bonagura, Bill Connelly, Heather Dinich, Chris Low, Harry Lyles Jr, Ryan McGee, Alex Scarborough, Paolo Uggetti, Tom VanHaaren, Dave Wilson, and Georgia are in the 12-team bracket.

The expansion of the College Football Playoff is scheduled to begin in 2026. The current model would see the field expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season. The four highest-ranked conference champions would earn the top seeds and a first-round bye.

Quarterfinal games are: No. 9 USC/No. 8 Oregon vs. No 1 Tennessee, No 10 LSU/ No 7 Alabama vs No 2 Ohio State, no 11 Ole Miss/ no 6 Michigan vs no 3 Clemson, and no 12 Tulane/no 5 Georgia vsno 4 TCU.