GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Undefeated Tennessee earned the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff's initial Top 25 ranking on Tuesday, marking the first time in the program's history it cracked the top four, followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Clemson.
The 13-member committee ranked undefeated Michigan No. 5, and one-loss Alabama was No. 6 ahead of undefeated No. 7 TCU. Alabama had been ranked in the top three of the initial rankings in each of the past six years. Alabama has never been lower than No. 6 in the committee's first ranking, as it earned the same spot in 2014.