Michigan State ranked No. 3 in first College Football Playoff Top-25 rankings of 2021 season

The Michigan State Spartans are 8-0 and coming off of a top-10 victory over the rival Michigan Wolverines. MSU has been one of the most surprising teams in the country in 2021, and the College Football Playoff Committee has taken notice of the Spartans.

In the initial College Football Playoff Top-25 rankings of the 2021 season, Michigan State came in ranked at No. 3, behind only the Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) and Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1), and ahead of the No. 4-ranked Oregon Ducks (7-1). At the end of the season, the top-four ranked teams at that time (which certainly can change from this week’s initial rankings) will compete in the College Football Playoff for a championship.

Full rankings (Big Ten teams in bold)

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Michigan State
4. Oregon
5. Ohio State
6. Cincinnati
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Wake Forest
10. Notre Dame
11. Oklahoma State
12. Baylor
13. Auburn
14. Texas A&M
15. BYU
16. Mississippi
17. Mississippi State
18. Kentucky
19. North Carolina State
20. Minnesota
21. Wisconsin Badgers
22. Iowa Hawkeyes
23. Fresno State
24. San Diego State
25. Pittsburgh

There are six Big Ten teams included in this week’s rankings. In addition to the No. 3 ranking in the CFP, Michigan State also currently ranks No. 5 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 6 in the Coaches Poll.