Road to Vegas: Miami, Georgia, Utah. Indiana are top teams in 1st CFP rankings

NEW YORK — Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana are the top 4 teams in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

The undefeated Miami Hurricanes received top billing in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday, with Georgia, undefeated Utah and defending national champion Indiana filling out the top four spots in the initial projected playoff bracket.

The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The biggest surprise among a series of head-scratchers from the 13-person selection committee was its choice to rank Notre Dame 11th — seven spots lower than its spot in the AP Top 25 and the last team in the bracket if the playoffs started today.

The nation’s other undefeated team, UCLA, was ranked eighth, behind No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Kentucky and No. 7 Texas. — all four of these picks raising eyebrows in their own way.

BYU was slotted in the ninth spot, followed by Ole Miss, the Irish and Ohio State. The Buckeyes would be on the outside looking in because Boise State, ranked 25th, would get the Group of Six automatic bid.