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Paul Finebaum predicts who will be No. 1 in initial College Football Playoff rankings

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs11/02/25grant_grubbs_
From Paul Finebaum to the On3 CFB national experts, here are some notable picks for LSU vs. Ole Miss ((Ken Ruinard | staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
From Paul Finebaum to the On3 CFB national experts, here are some notable picks for LSU vs. Ole Miss ((Ken Ruinard | staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

On Tuesday, the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released. During an appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum revealed which team he believes will be atop the debut rankings.

“I would put Ohio State No. 1, and I think the committee will put Ohio State No. 1,” Finebaum said. “We’re using a very difficult metric because I really like what Texas A&M and even Alabama have done. I think if you’re true to yourself, you have to go with Ohio State and I think this committee will.

“It really depends on what the philosophy is, and that’s what this committee is about. It’s about a mindset. And you said it a minute ago—and I don’t want to upstage all the ESPN morning shows on Wednesday—but it really just doesn’t matter. … I’m going against my talking points here that the SEC delivers to us every Sunday morning on The Matt Barrie Show, but Ohio State should be No. 1.”

It’s difficult to argue with Ohio State’s claim to the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Buckeyes are 8-0 and boast the No. 1 defense in the country. The Buckeyes are only allowing a nation-best 6.9 points per game.

On Saturday, the defending national champions continued their dominant run, strolling to a 38-14 win over Penn State. In the victory, Ohio State amassed 480 yards of total offense compared to Penn State’s mere 200.

Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin was pinpoint accurate, completing 20-of-his-23 pass attempts for 316 yards and four touchdowns, without throwing an interception. OSU wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith combined for 247 receiving yards and three scores.

The Buckeyes’ backfield wasn’t left out of the fun. Ohio State running back Bo Jackson tallied 105 rushing yards in the win, more than Penn State’s Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton‘s combined total.

With only one remaining ranked opponent on its schedule, Ohio State has an excellent chance of entering the postseason with a flawless record. While the Buckeyes have rarely been tested this season, they’re far from satisfied.

“We were up by three points at halftime but it seemed like we were down by 21,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said after the game. “We were a much more focused team in the second half and I liked the way we were able to score on our first possession when we came out of the locker room. That’s what good teams do when they are challenged in the first half.”