The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. Photo: James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The College Football Playoff is entering a new era this season, with a 12-team format for the first time since its 2014 introduction ā when the Buckeyes won it all.
Why it matters: More teams have a shot at competing for a national championship as the field expands beyond a four-team setup.
State of play: Ohio State (7-1) is No. 2 in the first rankings released Tuesday night.
Rankings will come out each Tuesday leading up to the final list on Sunday, Dec. 8.Ā
The rankings highlight the nation's strongest teams, but eventual playoff seeds will follow a formula.
How it'll work: The five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically make the playoffs. The top four of that group will be seeded No. 1-4 and have a first-round bye.
Of the remaining teams, those seeded No. 5-12 will face off Dec. 20-21 in a bracket-style Round 1 hosted by the higher seed.
The winners will play the four conference champions in the quarterfinals Dec. 31-Jan. 1.Ā
Two semifinal bowls on Jan. 9-10 and a Jan. 20 National Championship game in Atlanta will follow.
Zoom in: It will be tough for Ohio State to earn the first-round bye after losing to new Big Ten foe Oregon.
The Buckeyes' 4-1 conference record currently trails Oregon and Indiana.
Yes, but: OSU is still in decent shape. Even another regular season loss would leave the team in a good position for a playoff spot.
