The Miami Hurricanes are currently the top team in the country by most metrics, and they'll start atop the CFP rankings that were released on Tuesday.

There wasn't a ton of surprise in the initial set of rankings, but a few heavyweights may have come in higher than anticipated as we approach the end of the regular season.

That's definitely the case with 2-loss Alabama, who slotted in at #5 in the first set of rankings.

Per ESPN.com:

Miami wasn't included in the College Football Playoff selection committee's top 10 until the final rankings last season, but the unbeaten Hurricanes are No. 1 in the initial rankings released Tuesday night.

Miami was followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama in the top five. Kentucky, Texas, UCLA, BYU, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Ohio State round out the top 12.

Since five conference champions are guaranteed to make the 12-team bracket, No. 25 Boise State, a Group of 6 team, would replace Ohio State as the 12th seed.

The Hurricanes, Bulldogs, Utes and Hoosiers would receive first-round byes as the top four teams if the initial rankings were used for the 12-team bracket.

The first-round games would be Boise State at Alabama, BYU at UCLA, Notre Dame at Kentucky, and Ole Miss at Texas.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROJECTED BRACKET HERE.

"This has been such a crazy football season filled with unbelievable parity through the first eight weeks," CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek said. "There's a number of football games still left to be played. You just look at the matchups coming this weekend. We still believe, as a committee, there's going to be a significant amount of movement within the entire top-25 ranking, and we're looking forward to the task at hand, and it will be a difficult task."

Miami's late rise in the rankings last season assured it of a spot in the 12-team bracket and helped knock Notre Dame out of the CFP. Despite Miami's 27-24 victory over Notre Dame in the 2025 opener, the Hurricanes weren't put ahead of the Fighting Irish until the final rankings.

After getting a late bump in the rankings last season, Miami won three straight CFP games before falling to Indiana 27-21 in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T.

The Fighting Irish can get revenge when they host the Hurricanes on Saturday. Notre Dame might have to win to avoid missing the CFP for the second straight season; it doesn't have a victory against a team that is currently ranked, and none of its final three opponents after Miami is in the committee's top 25. The Fighting Irish are guaranteed a spot in the CFP if they finish in the top 12 in the final rankings.

"Notre Dame, the committee is impressed on both sides of the ball. They are a very good football team," Yurachek said. "But when you look at Notre Dame's schedule and the wins that they have versus the teams that are ahead of them, they don't have that signature win right now."

Tennessee was ranked 13th, followed by LSU, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Houston, Missouri, Iowa and USC. South Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Florida and Boise State rounded out the top 25.

The SEC had five teams in the top 12, followed by the Big Ten with three and the Big 12 with two. The ACC had two teams in the CFP Top 25. Boise State was the lone team from a Group of 6 conference in the top 25.

Source: Miami, Georgia, Utah, Indiana headline first CFP rankings - ESPN