CFP rankings: When are the first College Football Playoff rankings released?

The 2021 college football season has entered Week 9 and with November just around the corner, the College Football Playoff rankings are about to arrive. There will be six CFP announcements this season, culminating in the final, official rankings dropping on December 5th.

The first set of rankings will be announced on Tuesday, November 2 at 7 p.m. ET. We’re more than halfway through the college football season and each week we’ll get a new set of rankings.

The top four teams in college football — as determined by the committee — will participate in the semifinals on Friday, December 31. The national championship game will be played Monday, January 10, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Last year, Alabama was the top team in each set of rankings and the final CFP field included Clemson, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. Alabama beat Ohio State in the national championship game.

Georgia is the consensus No. 1 team in the country heading into Week 9 and faces Florida in Jacksonville. This year, we have a chance to have a school outside the Power 5 crash the party, with Cincinnati currently the No. 2 team in the country. Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State all follow in the current AP and Coaches polls.