Paul Finebaum names who College Football Playoff committee should rank No. 1

Who will be the No. 1 team in the first College Football Playoff rankings? Paul Finebaum believes there's one answer to that question.

Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Members of the College Football Playoff selection committee are set to announce their first official rankings today, and there appears to be a near-consensus on who will debut as the No. 1 team moving into November.

Paul Finebaum agrees with that consensus, predicting the defending national champions will top the first poll on Tuesday night.

Paul Finebaum picks the No. 1 team in the CFP

“I would put Ohio State at No. 1, and I think the committee will put Ohio State at No. 1,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show.

“And I know we’re using a very difficult metric, because I really like what [Texas] A&M and even Alabama have done, but I think if you’re true to yourself you have to go with Ohio State, and I think this committee will.”

Who is in line for the top spot?

Any debate that lingers around the No. 1 position is between the Buckeyes, Big Ten title contender Indiana, and undefeated SEC insurgent Texas A&M.

Each has an argument. Ohio State is playing college football’s most dominant defense, the country’s most efficient quarterback, its most talented wide receivers, and wins against Texas, Washington, and Illinois.

Indiana leads the nation in average margin of victory at over 31 points per game, has a double-digit road win against Oregon, and two wins of over 50 points in Big Ten play, but faced a less competitive non-conference schedule.

Texas A&M is the only perfect team left in the SEC, but critics have argued that it won those games against overmatched competition and played a little close against the likes of Auburn and Arkansas, both of which have fired their head coaches.

Another contender getting pre-rankings attention is Alabama, which has won seven-straight games since that Week 1 loss, and has wins against four AP ranked opponents, the most in college football.

Texas A&M sits No. 1 nationally in the strength of record category, according to the College Football Power Index computer model devised by ESPN analysts.

Indiana is second in the country by that metric, and Ohio State is third, while Big 12 favorite BYU is fourth, and SEC title contender Alabama rounds out the top-five.

How important is being the No. 1 team?

Being ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings isn’t that important when it comes to winning the national championship historically.

Alabama in 2020 and Georgia in 2021 are the only two teams who debuted at No. 1 in the selection committee’s poll that went on to win the national title.

Still, every initial No. 1 team from 2015 through 2018 lost the national championship game.

What do we think happens? Our prediction for the College Football Playoff rankings