PROVO, Utah — BYU (8-0) was ranked No. 9 in the first release of the 2024 College Football Playoff rankings revealed Tuesday by the CFP selection committee—the highest ranking in program history.
The Oregon Ducks (9-0) were ranked No. 1 in the inaugural rankings, followed by Ohio State (7-1), Georgia (7-1) and Miami (9-0) to round out the top four.
With the first year of the 12-team playoff featuring the four highest-rated champions receiving the top four seeds and first-round byes, BYU is initially projected as the four seed in this week's look at the new playoff format. Oregon is projected as the top seed, followed by Georgia and Miami as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Read more about the new CFP format.
The top 10 of Tuesday's CFP rankings included No. 5 Texas (7-1), No. 6 Penn State (7-1), No. 7 Tennesee (7-1) and No. 8 Indiana (9-0) ahead of BYU's No. 9 ranking, followed by No. 10 Notre Dame (7-1).
The Big 12 Conference had four teams ranked in the initial CFP Top 25 with BYU leading the conference at No. 9. Other teams included Iowa State (7-1) at No. 17, Kansas State (7-2) at No. 19 and Colorado (6-2) at No. 20.
BYU is one of just seven teams with two wins over teams ranked in the first CFP Top 25 (Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, SMU, Texas A&M).
Kansas State suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of BYU's dominating 38-9 triumph over the Wildcats at LaVell Edwards Stadium in the Cougars' Big 12 opener.
BYU gave SMU (8-1) its only loss of the season keeping their high-scoring offense out of the end zone in an 18-15 road win in week two.
BYU made its debut in the CFP Top 25 in 2020 in the inaugural rankings that season at No. 14. The Cougars were ranked in every CFP Top 25 that season, reaching as high as No. 13. In 2021, BYU reached a CFP ranking as high of 12 after finishing the regular season at 10-2.
BYU, coming off a bye weekend, is also ranked No. 9 in both The Associated Press Top 25 and American Football Coaches Association Poll released on Sunday.
BYU's unbeaten resume through eight games marks the fifth time the program has accomplished the feat in its 100 seasons of football. Head coach Kalani Sitake has done it twice, along with the 9-0 start in 2020, matching College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards. The legendary Edwards guided his 1979 team to an 11-0 regular-season record before a bowl loss and famously led BYU to the national championship with a 13-0 record in 1984. Gary Crowton led BYU's 2001 team to a 12-0 start on its way to a 12-2 season.
In their second season in the BIg 12, the Cougars are currently atop the league standings at 5-0 in conference play, one game ahead of previous unbeaten Iowa State (7-1, 4-1), who lost for the first time on Saturday, and Colorado (6-2, 4-1), who had a bye this past week. Texas Tech, who upset of the previously unbeaten Cyclones 23-22 in Ames, improved to 4-2 in the Big 12 to share the next rung in the standings with Kansas State, who fell to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference games with a 24-19 loss to surging Houston on Saturday (now 4-5 and 3-3 after back-to-back upsets over Utah and K-State).
BYU faces in-state rival Utah on the road at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN.