Gophers come in at No. 17 in first College Football Playoff rankings
The College Football Playoff committee released its first rankings of the 2019 season Tuesday night, slotting the undefeated Minnesota Gophers at No. 17.
The rival Wisconsin Badgers leapfrogged Minnesota into the top 15. Minnesota is currently ranked 13th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, while the Badgers sit at 16th. However, the CFP committee placed Wisconsin at 13th in the CFP rankings, four spots ahead of the Gophers.
The initial rankings include six teams from the Big Ten. Four conference rivals were ranked ahead of the Gophers -- Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan. Iowa is one spot below the Gophers at No. 18.
Minnesota’s biggest challenge of the season awaits Saturday in an 11 a.m. clash with Penn State, which came in at No. 4 in the initial CFP rankings.
See the full list below:
CFP RANKINGS -- WEEK 1 (released Nov. 5)
| RANK | TEAM |
| 1 | Ohio State |
| 2 | LSU |
| 3 | Alabama |
| 4 | Penn State |
| 5 | Clemson |
| 6 | Georgia |
| 7 | Oregon |
| 8 | Utah |
| 9 | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Florida |
| 11 | Auburn |
| 12 | Baylor |
| 13 | Wisconsin |
| 14 | Michigan |
| 15 | Notre Dame |
| 16 | Kansas State |
| 17 | Minnesota |
| 18 | Iowa |
| 19 | Wake Forest |
| 20 | Cincinnati |
| 21 | Memphis |
| 22 | Boise State |
| 23 | Oklahoma State |
| 24 | Navy |
| 25 | SMU |
