UCLA ranks No. 8 in College Football Playoff; USC lands at No. 20

UCLA holds the No. 8 seed in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, marking the program's highest placement in twelve years. The Bruins enter the season finale stretch undefeated at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten play. This ranking ties the team's best previous standing, which occurred on Nov. 25, 2014, during the inaugural year of the current playoff format.

Head coach Bob Chesney noted that the squad understands the weight of the final stretch of the season. He stated that the record entering November is one of the most meaningless statistics in college sports. The Bruins have remaining regular-season games against Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and No. 18 USC before the final rankings are set.

The team has maintained an average margin of victory of 20 points this season, a notable improvement after winning only three games the previous year. Senior running back Wayne Knight ranks third in the Big Ten with 85 rushing yards per game. The Bruins average a conference-leading 219.5 rushing yards per game. Their total offense produces 427.6 yards per game despite the season-ending ACL tear suffered by quarterback Nico Iamaleava after five games.

USC appears at No. 20 in the same rankings, returning to the list after a win over No. 11 Ohio State. The Trojans had dropped out of the AP Top 25 following a loss to unranked Wisconsin. The victory over the Buckeyes, which were ranked No. 2 at the time, took place at the Coliseum last weekend. Coach Lincoln Riley said the team controls its own destiny and must continue to improve to play good football.

The Trojans finished the regular season with a 7-2 record. Their passing offense ranks second in the Big Ten with 294.4 yards per game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava leads the conference with an average of 286.7 passing yards per game and 20 touchdowns. USC plays No. 6 Indiana and Maryland to close out its schedule before facing No. 5 UCLA.

Miami holds the No. 1 seed at 8-0, followed by Georgia at 7-1, Utah at 8-0, and Indiana at 8-1. The CFP committee will issue weekly rankings until Sunday, Dec. 6. The 12-team tournament begins on Dec. 18 and 19 with four games hosted by the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds.

The top four seeds receive byes to the quarterfinals. Those games are scheduled for Dec. 30 at the Fiesta Bowl and Jan. 1 at the Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Rose Bowl. The semifinals take place on Jan. 14 at the Orange Bowl in Miami and Jan. 15 at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The national championship game is set for Jan. 25 in Las Vegas.

The selection committee comprises six current athletic directors, four former head coaches, two former All-American football players, and one former sportswriter. UCLA has appeared in 17 CFP rankings between 2014 and 2023. USC has made 40 appearances in the rankings over that same span.