OSU Debuts at No. 11 in College Football Playoff Rankings

Finally, a ranking that actually matters. Finally, a starting point.

The College Football Playoff committee released its first ranking of the 2021 season on Tuesday night and the Cowboys are currently on the outside looking in — but not too far out. Oklahoma State came in at No. 11, tying for the highest the Cowboys have debuted in this ranking since 2017. The Cowboys are also No. 11 in both the AP and Coaches poll.

Here’s a look at the full ranking, starting with the current top 4. (Don’t worry. I won’t tease you like ESPN.)

Rank	Team
1	Georgia
2	Alabama
3	Michigan State
4	Oregon
5	Ohio State
6	Cincinnati
7	Michigan
8	Oklahoma
9	Wake Forest
10	Notre Dame
11	Oklahoma State
12	Baylor
13	Auburn
14	Texas A&M
15	BYU
16	Ole Miss
17	Mississippi State
18	Kentucky
19	NC State
20	Minnesota
21	Wisconsin
22	Iowa
23	Fresno State
24	San Diego State
25	Pittsburgh

That makes three Big 12 teams in the ranking with the Cowboys owning a one-spot edge over Baylor after winning the head-to-head. Somewhat surprisingly, the only 9-0 team in the country, Oklahoma, is No. 8. The Sooners have been sporadic so far this year but are still in control of their own destiny.

The Cincinnati ranking is, well, interesting and could have an effect on the brand name of the future Big 12. With bell-cow/calf Oklahoma and Texas moseying off toward greener southeast pastures, adding a recent CFP Final Four could have helped quite a bit. With the undefeated Bearcats on the outside looking in, they do not control their own destiny. It is the highest CFP ranking ever by a non-Power conference team, beating out Cincinnati last year at 7.

The Cowboys have been included in five of the last six years by the committee, only missing out in 2014 and 2018 since its inception. Their initial ranking each season is highlighted below.

Year	Week	Ranking
2015	9	14
2015	10	8
2015	11	6
2015	12	11
2015	13	17
2015	Final	16
2016	9	18
2016	10	13
2016	11	11
2016	12	10
2016	13	10
2016	Final	12
2017	9	11
2017	10	15
2017	11	13
2017	12	19
2017	13	19
2017	Final	19
2019	9	23
2019	10	22
2019	11	21
2019	12	21
2019	13	25
2019	Final	25
2020	10	23
2020	11	15
2020	12	22
2020	13	21
2020	Final	21