When the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings come out
For most of the 2023 college football season, defending national champion Georgia was the virtual consensus No. 1 team in most of the rankings. That will change, however, after the defending back-to-back champs had their 29-game win streak snapped at the worst possible time, with a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, a result that will have a seismic effect on the polls.
Where do things stand as we move into Selection Sunday? While the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll help us understand where the top teams stand up for most of the season, the one that really matters is the official College Football Playoff rankings created by the selection committee. Here's a look at the committee's schedule for releasing the 2023 rankings.
College football playoff rankings schedule
All times Eastern, all on ESPN
CFP rankings release No. 1 — Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 7-8 p.m.
CFP rankings release No. 2 — Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7-8 p.m.
CFP rankings release No. 3 — Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 9 p.m.
CFP rankings release No. 4 — Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7-8 p.m.
CFP rankings release No. 5 — Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7-7:30 p.m.
Selection Day — Sunday, Dec. 3 at 12 p.m.
Related: When the AP top 25 rankings will be released
College football playoff rankings criteria
College Football Playoff selectors create top 25 rankings based on their evaluation of teams’ performance on the field.
The committee employs several metrics to select the best teams.
- Strength of schedule
- Head-to-head game results
- Results vs. teams in top 25 rankings
- Results vs. common opponents
- Conference championships
College Football Playoff electors also use advanced analytics to gauge teams’ play, but those numbers don’t play a formal role in the committee creating its top 25 rankings.
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams