The College Football Playoff selection committee historically doesn't look fondly on Group of Five teams. Last season, Tulane was the highest-ranked such team in the first CFP Rankings at No. 24 with a 7-1 record.

That's not the case in the first set of rankings, however. Boise State, the fifth-highest-ranked projected conference champ, is at No. 12 in the initial rankings. That means the top 12 teams in the rankings are the 12 teams in the projected playoff bracket.