College Football Playoff: Ohio State tops first committee rankings of 2019

Defending champion Clemson is fifth followed by No. 6 Georgia.

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Earlier Tuesday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day expressed little interest in where his team would be ranked, and he had a simple reason.

“Because, again, it doesn't matter if we don't continue to win,” Day said. “What matters is the record at the end of the season, where you're ranked at the end.”

History backs him up as the initial top four has never been the same as the final top four since the playoff began in 2014.

That year the initial top four was Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and Mississippi.

Only the Seminoles made the playoff while Ohio State ended up in the four spot after starting the rankings at No. 16.

Those Buckeyes ultimately upset No. 1 Alabama in a semifinal game in the Sugar Bowl then beat Oregon in the championship game.

This season promises plenty of changes, perhaps as soon as next week as LSU and Alabama are set to play Saturday.

Ohio State and Penn State will play Nov. 23, and Georgia is on pace to face the winner of the LSU-Alabama game in the SEC Championship game in December.

This is only the second time in six years Ohio State has been in the initial top four. The other was 2015 when the defending champion Buckeyes were third behind Clemson and LSU.

Ohio State ended up seventh that year after being upset by Michigan State in the penultimate game of the regular season.

In 2016, Ohio State started sixth and finished third.

In 2017, Ohio State started sixth and finished fifth, and last season the Buckeyes were 10th in the initial rankings and ended up sixth.

This season the semifinals will be hosted by the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl, both on Dec. 28.

The championship game is set for New Orleans on Jan. 13.