CFP’s first top 4: Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson

Associated PressNov 1, 2022, 8:45 PM EDT

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson were the top four teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season released Tuesday night, four days before the Volunteers and Bulldogs square off on the field.

Michigan was fifth, followed by Alabama and unbeaten TCU.

Tennessee is No. 1 in the CFP rankings for the first time, starting ahead of a group of teams that have become regulars at the top of the selection committee’s top 25. The Volunteers have already beaten the Crimson Tide and LSU, which was ranked 10th.

Tennessee has been one of the season’s biggest surprises, starting the season unranked in the AP poll and jumping out to an 8-0 start for the first time since the Vols won their last national title in 1998.

“We’ve tried to enjoy the journey,” second-year Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told ESPN. “Three years ago, it didn’t look like this.”

The committee began its weekly in-person meetings at hotel in Grapevine, Texas, on Monday and revealed the first of six weekly rankings.

The final rankings that set the CFP field of four are set for Dec. 4. The 13-person panel is led by a first-time chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director of North Carolina State.

Only one team that has been No. 1 in the committee’s initial rankings has not made the playoff, but only about half the teams in first top four managed to finish there.

Oregon was eighth followed by Pac-12 rival Southern California at ninth.

The highest ranked team from outside the Power Five conferences was Tulane at No. 19. The highest ranked champion from the Group of Five conferences earns a spot in New Year’s Six bowl.

The CFP semifinals are scheduled to be played at the Fiesta and Peach Bowls on Dec. 31, with the championship game set for Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California.

ANALYSIS.

Even before the rankings were unveiled Tuesday night, it was clear which teams still have a chance to play for a national championship.

A glance at the conference standings reveals 14 contenders, all in the Power Five. Sorry, there will be no Cincinnati-style interloper from the Group of Five this season for the selection committee to consider.

A conference-by-conference assessment of who is in the race and the paths to the CFP, with AP Top 25 rankings.

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Clemson (8-0, AP No. 5)

The Tigers had their streak of six straight playoff appearances snapped last year, but are well positioned to get back, with no ranked opponents left before a likely ACC title game against North Carolina.

No unbeaten Power Five champion has ever missed the playoff. A glance at the Big Ten and SEC suggests getting in as a one-loss conference champion could be dicey for the Tigers.

No. 17 North Carolina (7-1, AP No. 17)

Run the table, beating unbeaten Clemson in the ACC title game, gets the Tar Heels in the conversation, but they’ll need some upsets in other leagues to clear the way.

BIG 12

No. 7 TCU (8-0, AP No. 7)

See above, re: unbeaten Power Five champions. The Horned Frogs flirt with disaster weekly and have some defensive issues. That’s a profile the selection committee tends to look upon skeptically.

They’ll probably need to stay unbeaten to get in and it’s going to be really tough for them to stay unbeaten with the way they have been playing.

BIG TEN

Ohio State (8-0, AP No. 2) and Michigan (8-0, AP No. 4)

Both have been dominant. Neither has played a particularly strenuous schedule and that won’t change much before they meet Thanksgiving weekend. Still, either is lock by winning out.

Either would stay in the mix by being a 12-1 conference champion. And the loser of the rivalry game at 11-1 probably still holds out hope to get in.

Illinois (7-1, AP No. 14)

The Illini have a game against Michigan the week before the Wolverines play Ohio State. That means Illinois could finish 12-1 with either two victories against Michigan or one against Michigan and one against Ohio State.

It’s not likely to happen, but that would put the Illini in the playoff.

PAC-12

Oregon (7-1, AP No. 8), USC (7-1, AP No. 9) and UCLA (7-1, No. 10)

They all need to run the table to have a chance and even then that might not be enough. The Ducks will have to overcome a 49-3 loss to Georgia in their opener. The Trojans have a bad defense and won’t get much of a bump by beating Notre Dame. UCLA played one of the weakest nonconference schedules in the country.

What’s the best option for the Pac-12? The guess here is a 12-1 USC with victories against UCLA and Oregon and one-point loss to a good Utah team.

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

Georgia (8-0, AP No. 1) and Tennessee (8-0, AP No. 2)

The loser of Saturday’s showdown in Athens is not eliminated, especially if its the Volunteers, with a victory over Alabama already in hand.

Alabama (6-1, AP No. 6) and Mississippi (8-1, AP No. 11)

The Crimson Tide and Rebels can’t afford another loss – they play each other in two weeks – but either would breeze into the CFP by winning out.

The most SEC-centric scenario the rest of the country needs to root against is Alabama winning out, beating Georgia in the SEC championship game, and leaving the Tide and Bulldogs at 12-1 and Tennessee at 11-1 with a close loss to Georgia.

LSU (6-2, AP No. 15)

A two-loss team has never made the playoff, but the SEC champion has never missed the playoff. If the Tigers beat Alabama and avenge a loss to Tennessee on the way to a conference title they could break precedent.

Georgia extends contract for AD Josh Brooks, plans two new football practice fields

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:14 PM EDT

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

ATHENS, Ga. – On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has rewarded athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029.

The athletic association board, wrapping up its annual spring meeting Friday at a resort on Lake Oconee, also announced plans for a new track and field facility that will free up space for two more football practice fields.

Brooks’ new contract will increase his salary to $1.025 million a year, with annual raises of $100,000.

The 42-year-old Brooks, who took over the athletic department in 2021 after Greg McGarity retired, called the Georgia job “a dream for me” and said he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Athens.

“I am extremely grateful,” Brooks said. “I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager. My first job at Louisiana-Monroe was making $20,000 a year in football operations.”

The Georgia board approved a fiscal 2024 budget of $175.2 million, a nearly 8% increase from the most recent budget of $162.2 million and the sign of a prosperous program that is flush with money after its success on the gridiron.

The school received approval to move forward with its preliminary plans for a new track and field facility, which will be built across the street from the complex hosting the soccer and and softball teams.

The current track stadium is located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre athletic facility, which hosts the practice fields and training facilities for the football program.

Georgia lost a chunk of its outdoor fields when it built a new indoor practice facility. After the new track and field stadium is completed, the current space will be converted to two full-length, grass football practice fields at the request of coach Kirby Smart.

“He wants to find efficient ways to practice, and there is a lot of truth to the issues we’ve had with our current practice fields,” Brooks said. “There is a lot of strain on our turf facilities staff to keep that field in great shape when half the day it is getting shade, so that has been a challenge as well. For our football program, it is better to practice on grass fields than (artificial) turf, so to be able to have two side-by-side grass fields is huge. It makes for a much more efficient practice.”

The new track and field complex, which will continue to be named Spec Towns Track, will also include an indoor facility, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement after 17 years at Big Ten school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:11 PM EDT

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will retire on August 1 after 17 years at the university, the school announced Friday.

Barta, 59, is one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming.

An interim director will be announced next week, Iowa said.

In September, Iowa hired former Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz to be deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, putting her in position to possibly succeed Barta.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve in this role the past 17 years,” Barta said in a statement. “This decision didn’t come suddenly, nor did it come without significant thought, discussion, and prayer.”

“That said, I’m confident this is the right time for me and for my family.”

Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. The women’s basketball team is coming off an appearance in the national championship game and the wrestling team is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Barta served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2020 and 2021.

He faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.

Lawsuits filed by former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum and associate athletics director Jane Meyer led to a $6.5 million payout.

Iowa had to pay $400,000 as part of a Title IX lawsuit brought by athletes after it cut four sports in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the agreement, Iowa reinstated the women’s swimming and diving program and add another women’s sport.

Iowa added women’s wrestling, the first among Power Five schools to compete this year.

A lawsuit brought by former football players alleging racial discrimination within the program was settled for $4.2 million last March, which prompted state auditor Rob Sand to call for Barta’s ouster.

“Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million,” Sand posted on Twitter.

The university did not allow taxpayer money to be used for the settlement with the former players.

Barta led Iowa through $380 million of facility upgrades, including renovation of Kinnick Stadium, the construction of a new football facility, a basketball practice facility and a training center for the wrestling teams.

Under Barta, Iowa has had just one head football coach (Kirk Ferentz), women’s basketball coach (Lisa Bluder) and wrestling coach (Tom Brands). All were in place when he arrived.

Barta has also come under scrutiny for allowing Ferentz to employee his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. To comply with the university’s nepotism policy, Brian Ferentz reports to Barta.