Hogs have highest ranking in CFP poll

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman walks before an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas moved up four places in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday. 

The Razorbacks (7-3, 3-3 SEC) will be ranked 21st for their game at Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are ranked second in this week’s playoff poll behind Georgia. 

This week’s ranking is the highest ever for Arkansas in the playoff poll. The Razorbacks made their season debut in the poll at No. 25 last week and followed with a 16-13 win at LSU in overtime.

Arkansas had only been ranked by the playoff committee once before, in 2016 when the Razorbacks were also ranked 25th before falling out after one week. 


Alabama (9-1, 5-1) has been ranked second in every playoff poll this season. The Crimson Tide are also ranked second in this week’s Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. 

Arkansas is ranked 21st by AP and 22nd by coaches. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette uses the playoff rankings as its poll of record after the first rankings are released in October each year. 

The Razorbacks and Crimson Tide are among six SEC teams ranked by the playoff committee this week. In addition to top-ranked Georgia, the SEC is represented by Ole Miss (12), Texas A&M (16) and Mississippi State (25). 

Playoff committee rankings are used to determine the four participants in the College Football Playoff at the end of each season, as well as some bowl matchups. 

Arkansas is scheduled to play at Alabama on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. The Razorbacks have lost 14 straight in the series and have not won at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., since 2003.

The Crimson Tide can clinch the SEC West with a win Saturday. Arkansas is mathematically still in contention for the division title. 

College Football Playoff Rankings, Nov. 16

1 Georgia (10-0)

2 Alabama (9-1)

3 Oregon (9-1)

4 Ohio State (9-1)

5 Cincinnati (10-0)

6 Michigan (9-1)

7 Michigan State (9-1)

8 Notre Dame (9-1)

9 Oklahoma State (9-1)

10 Wake Forest (9-1)

11 Baylor (8-2)

12 Ole Miss (8-2)

13 Oklahoma (9-1)

14 BYU (8-2)

15 Wisconsin (7-3)

16 Texas A&M (7-3)

17 Iowa (8-2)

18 Pittsburgh (8-2)

19 San Diego State (9-1)

20 North Carolina State (7-3)

21 Arkansas (7-3)

22 Texas San-Antonio (10-0)

23 Utah (7-3)

24 Houston (9-1)

25 Mississippi State (6-4)