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Ohio State tops the first CFP rankings

Kendall Baker, author of Sports

Screenshot: YouTube

The College Football Playoff committee released its first of five official rankings Tuesday, with Ohio State taking the top spot and Penn State somewhat surprisingly coming in at No. 4, one spot ahead of Clemson.

Why it matters: In every year of the playoff except for the first one, a team in the CFP committee's initial top four rankings won the national championship.

  • The lone exception was 2014 Ohio State, which debuted at No. 16 before making the playoff and ultimately winning it all.

The state of play:

  • Top 10: Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, Georgia, Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida.
  • AP Poll (to compare): LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Penn State, Georgia, Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida.

Notes:

  • Clemson is fine: The defending champs entered the season as the preseason No. 1, and despite not losing a game, find themselves at No. 5. That stings, but if the Tigers win out as one might expect (toughest test is No. 19 Wake Forest), they're a virtual lock to make the playoff because of all the movement set to take place ahead of them.
  • Looking ahead: These rankings will change dramatically over the next three weeks, with the top four teams set to face off. No. 2 LSU travels to No. 3 Alabama this weekend, and No. 4 Penn State travels to No. 1 Ohio State in two weeks (after a tough test against No. 17 Minnesota on Saturday).

Go deeper

Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Kellyanne Conway's parting power pointers

Kellyanne Conway addresses the 2020 Republican National Convention. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Kellyanne Conway has seen power exercised as a pollster, campaign manager and senior counselor to President Trump. Now that his term in office has concluded, she shared her thoughts with Axios.

Why it matters: If there's a currency in this town, it's power, so we've asked several former Washington power brokers to share their best advice as a new administration and new Congress settle in.

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Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
5 hours ago - Politics & Policy

GOP holdouts press on with plans to crush Cheney

Screenshot of emails to a member of Congress from individuals who signed an Americans for Limited Government petition against Rep. Liz Cheney. Photo obtained by Axios

Pro-Trump holdouts in the House are forging ahead with an uphill campaign to oust Rep. Liz Cheney as head of the chamber's Republican caucus even though Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told them to back down.

Why it matters: What happens next will be a test of McCarthy's party control and the sincerity of his opposition to the movement. Cheney (R-Wyo.) is seen as a potential leadership rival to the California Republican.

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Lachlan Markay
5 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Democrats aim to punish House GOP for Capitol riot

Speaker Nancy Pelosi passes through a newly installed metal detector at the House floor entrance Thursday. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

House Democrats plan to take advantage of corporate efforts to cut funding for Republicans who opposed certifying the 2020 election results, with a plan to target vulnerable members in the pivotal 2022 midterms for their role in the Jan. 6 violence.

Why it matters: It's unclear whether the Democrats' strategy will manifest itself in ads or earned media in the targeted races or just be a stunt to raise money for themselves. But the Capitol violence will be central to the party's messaging as it seeks to maintain its narrow majorities in Congress.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow

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