Tennessee earned the No. 1 spot in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season Tuesday night, followed by Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan.

The Volunteers had not been ranked inside the top 15 in the nine-year history of the CFP, but thanks to an 8-0 record with a 52-49 win over Alabama as their signature victory, they topped the initial field with four weeks left in the regular season.

New CFP chairman Boo Corrigan — the athletic director at North Carolina State — cited the Vols’ strong wins as the factor that separated them from Ohio State and Georgia.

“I think the two wins that you’re looking at, with Alabama and at LSU, really sealed the deal for Tennessee,” Corrigan said in an interview on ESPN.

Tennessee plays at No. 3 Georgia in an SEC East battle on Saturday. Georgia, the defending national champion, was the No. 1 team in the latest AP Poll, with Tennessee tied for second.

The Buckeyes open the rankings at No. 2 following a 44-31 road victory over No. 15 Penn State. Ohio State has won all eight of its games by at least 11 points.

All top-five teams are 8-0. Prognosticators figured Michigan would be No. 4, but playoff regular Clemson was rewarded with that spot. The Tigers have beaten three other teams in the initial rankings — Wake Forest, NC State and Syracuse.

Alabama — 7-1 after a loss to Tennessee — came in at No. 6, ahead of unbeaten TCU at No. 7.

“We’re looking for a balanced team, offense and defense,” Corrigan said of TCU. “They’ve gotten behind in games.”

Oregon and Southern California gave the Pac-12 some representation at Nos. 8 and 9.

LSU was No. 10, five spots higher than its ranking in this week’s AP Poll. The Tigers are 6-2, with losses to Florida State and Tennessee but recent wins over Florida and Ole Miss, the latter of whom came in at No. 11.

See the full rankings below:

1. Tennessee
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Southern California
10. LSU
11. Ole Miss
12. UCLA
13. Kansas State
14. Utah
15. Penn State
16. Illinois
17. North Carolina
18. Oklahoma State
19. Tulane
20. Syracuse
21. Wake Forest
22. NC State
23. Oregon State
24. Texas
25. UCF

–Field Level Media

Michigan State suspended an additional four players Tuesday in the wake of Saturday night’s altercation in the tunnel of Michigan Stadium.

Defensive ends Jacoby Windmon and Brandon Wright and cornerbacks Justin White and Malcolm Jones were suspended Tuesday. Previously, the Spartans had suspended linebacker Tank Brown, safety Angelo Grose, defensive end Zion Young and cornerback Khary Crump for their involvement.

A joint statement from Michigan State coach Mel Tucker and athletic director Alan Haller said the new suspensions were a result of the program’s continued to efforts to “gather and review electronic evidence” of what Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh described as an assault.

“We are transparently working with law enforcement and the Big Ten Conference to evaluate additional facts and evidence surrounding the events in Ann Arbor,” the joint statement said in part. “We will continue to take appropriate action in this matter as we learn more. The student-athlete suspensions will remain in place until the investigations are completed.”

Brown, Grose, Crump and Young were seen on video hitting and kicking Wolverines defensive back Ja’Den McBurrows and swinging a helmet at defensive back Gemon Green.

A police investigation into the case is continuing and could result in criminal charges. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday he expected charges to be filed.

“We’re not here to make any excuses for the behaviors Saturday,” Tucker said Monday in his weekly news conference. “They are unacceptable. It’s also very important to say we honor the traditions of the Big Ten conference, including the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry game, and we have a responsibility to uphold the values of this great university.”

Green hired an attorney, Tom Mars, who has said the Spartans players will “feel the full wrath of the law.” Green reportedly sustained facial injuries and a concussion.

–Field Level Media

Temple and South Florida are the only teams yet to win a game in American Athletic Conference play this season.

Off to 0-4 starts in league play, Temple and USF are hoping to emerge with the elusive AAC victory when the teams convene Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.

Temple (2-6, 0-4 AAC) has dropped conference games to Memphis, Central Florida, Tulsa and Navy. The Owls absorbed a 70-13 loss to UCF on Oct. 13, took an early 10-point lead in a 27-16 loss at Tulsa and succumbed in overtime during last week’s 27-20 loss to Navy.

Amad Anderson Jr. caught a 20-yard touchdown for the Owls and finished with eight receptions for 114 yards. E.J. Warner, the son of Kurt Warner, completed 24 of 48 passes for 268 yards and was intercepted twice.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign came from the defense’s showing against Navy’s triple-option. The Owls conceded 224 yards from scrimmage — well below Navy’s 370 yards per game entering last week.

“We prepared very well for the triple-option,” Temple linebacker Jordan Magee said. “We just didn’t get the outcome.”

USF (1-7, 0-4) enters Saturday allowing a league-worst 38.1 points per game and a league-worst 488.4 yards per contest. The Bulls are also on a six-game losing streak since getting their only win over Howard on Sept. 10.

Since entering league play, USF has losses to East Carolina, Cincinnati, Tulane and Houston. After allowing three touchdowns in a span of 6:30 in the second half in its 45-31 loss to Tulane, the Bulls allowed 490 yards in last week’s 42-27 loss at Houston.

Katravis Marsh started at quarterback for the first time for the Bulls and completed 24 of 34 passes for a touchdown and 275 yards. He is expected to start again at Temple after starter Gerry Bohannon suffered a season-ending shoulder injury Oct. 15.

“Most improvement in the quarterback position is typically from the first game as a starter to that second game so I expect to see him build off of this performance and continue to improve next week and as we move forward,” USF coach Jeff Scott said.

Temple has won five of eight all-time meetings, though USF recorded a 34-14 home win last season.

–Field Level Media

The battle of the Techs in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division often has had championship implications.

But those days are in the past.

On Saturday, when Georgia Tech (3-5, 2-3 ACC) travels to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech (2-6, 1-4), the only stakes are the flickering bowl hopes of the struggling teams.

While Georgia Tech enters the game on a two-game skid, Virginia Tech has dropped five in a row in its longest losing streak in 30 seasons.

With two games left vs. ACC teams who have losing records, and another against Liberty, Hokies coach Brent Pry is looking for a “reboot,” as he called it Tuesday.

“We have four games left, a good chance to go 4-0, achieve a lot of objectives and finish this thing on a good note,” Pry said.

The Hokies are coming off a 22-21 loss at North Carolina State in which they incurred a staggering 10 false-start penalties.

Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells ran for two touchdowns and threw for a score in a dizzying span of 8:49 in the third quarter. The splurge put the Hokies up 21-3 late in the third quarter. But over the final 17 minutes, Tech surrendered three touchdown passes by Wolfpack true freshman quarterback MJ Morris.

The Yellow Jackets had their moments this year. Since Geoff Collins was fired as head coach, interim coach Brent Key has guided the team to an upset of then-24th-ranked Pitt, 26-21, followed by a 23-20 victory in overtime against Duke.

But last week’s 41-16 loss at Florida State was a humbling reality check. On a day when the Yellow Jackets’ defense surrendered 642 yards, their offense gained only 24 in the first half.

In his first college start, freshman Zach Pyron recovered in the second half to finish 18-of-28 passing for 198 yards and a touchdown.

Pyron will be back on the bench this week because starter Jeff Sims will return from a sprained foot. Key declared Sims good to go on Tuesday, explaining that his running ability forces opposing teams to defend more of the field, which can open Tech’s running attack.

“Creating those lanes and creating those spaces with Jeff is obviously a huge advantage for us,” Key said.

–Field Level Media

Nebraska starting quarterback Casey Thompson is day-to-day after suffering an injury to his throwing arm during last Saturday’s 26-9 home loss to Illinois.

Thompson didn’t practice Tuesday, interim coach Mickey Joseph told reporters, but there’s still a chance he could play this Saturday against visiting Minnesota.

In the meantime, backup quarterbacks Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers split reps with the first-string offense evenly on Tuesday, according to Joseph.

Thompson left the Illinois game in the second quarter after throwing his second interception. At the time, Joseph said Thompson was hit in the elbow and he experienced numbness in his fingers.

Thompson finished the game 7 of 15 for 172 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Smothers played the rest of the quarter and Purdy took over for the second half.

A transfer from Texas, Thompson has thrown for 2,023 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season while completing 62.9 percent of his passes.

–Field Level Media

Still in control of its destiny in the Big Ten West, Purdue spent its bye week doing far more regrouping than reflecting on what could lie ahead.

What is at stake beyond Saturday’s visit from Iowa in West Lafayette, Ind.?

Boilermakers coach Jeff Brohm urges players not to bother.

“I think we can’t concern ourselves with anything at the end of the tunnel,” Brohm said. “That’s when you get caught looking down a road and don’t prepare as hard as you can.”

Should the Boilermakers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) defeat Iowa (4-4, 2-3), they’d set up a huge division clash at resurgent Illinois the following week. To get there, Purdue must play more efficiently on offense than the most recent time out, a 35-24 loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 22 that snapped a four-game winning streak.

Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell eclipsed 300 yards for the third straight game while passing for a touchdown, but he also threw three interceptions.

“I think we’re all disappointed in the turnovers,” Brohm said. “Aidan was disappointed. We talked about it after, and he’s still angry about it. You know, it happens. You learn from it and move on.”

The Hawkeyes recovered from the roughest stretch of their season to date, routing Northwestern 33-13 last week to stop a three-game skid.

Spencer Petras threw for 220 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score, and Drew Stevens kicked four field goals. Iowa limited Northwestern to 177 total yards, including 18 rushing yards on 37 attempts, while notching a season high in points and yards (398).

“Probably the biggest step forward was on offense; that was really good to see,” Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. “The best we’ve played together this season so far. The defense gave another good effort out there, and special teams, for the most part, were pretty good.”

Purdue has won the past two meetings to take a 50-39-3 lead in the all-time series.

“We haven’t had much success the last couple outings against them, so that’s a goal of ours, to try to change that,” Ferentz said.

Brohm is 4-1 against Iowa in his career.

–Field Level Media

Auburn interim coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams will hope to salvage the Tigers’ season, beginning with a game at slumping Mississippi State on Saturday night in Starkville, Miss.

Williams, who was in his fourth season of coaching the Tigers’ running backs, replaced Bryan Harsin after he was dismissed on Monday after less than two seasons on the job.

“I truly believe Auburn has the potential to be a championship program once again,” Harsin wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “The resources, financial support and fan base are in place.”

The Tigers (3-5, 1-4 SEC), mired in a four-game-losing streak, went 9-12 under Harsin, with losses in 10 of their past 13 games dating to last season.

Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3) is coming off a 30-6 loss at then-No. 6 Alabama, the Bulldogs’ second straight loss after opening the season 5-1.

The Bulldogs and Tigers play contrasting styles of offense.

Led by Will Rogers, who has thrown for an SEC-high 2,555 yards and 23 touchdowns with just four interceptions, the Bulldogs average 410.8 yards per game but have rushed for a league-low 713.

Auburn has struggled throwing the ball. Robby Ashford has completed 52.6 percent of his passes for 1,299 yards and five touchdowns with five interceptions. Auburn averages just 217.3 yards through the air, ahead of only Missouri and Vanderbilt in the conference.

However, Auburn has been successful running the ball. That’s a major reason why Williams — a former All-American running back at Auburn — was promoted while offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau and tight ends coach Brad Bedell were among several assistants who were fired on Monday.

Tank Bigsby has averaged 5.3 yards per carry, rushing for 587 yards and seven scores on 110 carries. Ashford has added 397 yards and three touchdowns on 93 carries.

“Auburn’s full of a bunch of players who had offers all over the conference,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said. “Us and everybody else wanted those guys on their team.”

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables has plenty of familiarity with his Baylor counterpart, Dave Aranda.

During their time as up-and-coming defensive coordinators, the pair spent time talking defensive philosophies.

But Venables said their relationship really grew when Aranda was the defensive coordinator at LSU and recruited Venables’ son, Jake.

When decision time arrived, Jake Venables picked Clemson.

“His mama won the recruiting battle,” Venables said. “Dave didn’t make the cut.”

On Saturday, Aranda’s Bears (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) will take on Venables’ Sooners (5-3, 2-3) at Norman, Okla.

Aranda not only has experience with Oklahoma’s coach, he knows the Sooners’ offense as well.

The Bears played Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl to end last season, beating the Rebels 21-7. Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator was Jeff Lebby, who now is in the same position with the Sooners.

“I think the tempo is familiar,” Aranda said of the similarities. “I think there are less spread-out sets. At least here lately, there’s been more of a focus on the run game. There’s a fair amount of runs that you remember back from OU a year ago to two years ago kind of showing up.”

The run game figures to be key Saturday.

Both teams are among the top rushing teams in the Big 12, averaging better than 200 yards per game. Baylor is 24th in the nation at 201.5 yards, while Oklahoma is 16th at 217.5.

The defenses, though, have been markedly different.

Baylor leads the conference in rush defense, allowing just 113.2 yards per game, while the Sooners are last at 189.8.

“They’re really stout inside,” Lebby said of Baylor’s defensive line. “I think for us, it’s about being really efficient, being really good on first down.”

A year ago, Baylor’s defense mauled Oklahoma, holding the Sooners to 260 yards of total offense, their lowest total since 2014. Baylor pulled out a 27-14 victory.

Venables said the matchup on the other side — his defensive line against the Bears’ offensive front — would go a long way toward deciding the outcome.

The Sooners held Iowa State to 66 rushing yards in a 27-13 win last week to run their modest winning streak to two games following a 49-0 defeat to Texas.

“It’s going to be, to me, the matchup, to be honest with you,” Venables said. “It’s a great, great challenge, and our guys know that.”

Baylor also carries momentum into Saturday’s game off a 45-17 road win over Texas Tech.

Last year, Baylor victory’s over Oklahoma snapped a seven-game Sooners’ winning streak in the series. Baylor has beaten the Sooners only once at Norman, 48-14 in 2014.

–Field Level Media

Already bowl eligible, visiting Maryland might be in its best position to record a first victory over Wisconsin on Saturday at Madison, Wisc.

In their most recent outings, Maryland (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) defeated Northwestern 31-24 while Wisconsin (4-4, 2-3) upended Purdue 35-24. Each team enters off a bye week.

“We’re 6-2 but still aren’t playing our best football,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “And to me, that’s kind of the encouraging thing for us, to be 6-2 at kind of the midway point for us.”

The Badgers are 3-0 all-time against Maryland, including a 38-13 win in Madison in 2017 in the most recent meeting.

This season, Wisconsin has yet to win two consecutive games. The Badgers are 2-1 under interim coach Jim Leonhard, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to interim head coach after Paul Chryst was fired the day after a 34-10 home loss to Illinois on Oct. 1.

Leonhard said this week that he believes he’s ready for the permanent coaching position.

“I know I’m capable of it,” he said. “I would be excited for the opportunity. It’s fun to get the chance to really affect some change this season and see what we can get done, knowing that a lot of the big changes that would have to happen are really coming after the season if I were to get this position.”

Wisconsin and Maryland are similar statistically. Each has outscored its opponent by about 10 points per game, with Wisconsin averaging 31.8 points and allowing 21.9, while the Terps average 34.1 and give up 24.1.

Maryland averages 455.0 yards per game, 28th best in the nation, and allows 380.2. The Badgers average 389.9 on offense and give up 342.9.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who missed the Northwestern game, has thrown for 2,001 yards this season, completing 72.5 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Rakim Jarrett has 33 receptions for 371 yards and three TDs.

Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has nine touchdown passes and only one interception in his past three games. Overall, he has completed 119 of 188 passes for 1,630 yards and 17 TDs, with six interceptions.

Braelon Allen needs 130 yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards this season. He averages 5.8 yards a carry.

–Field Level Media

Washington State and Stanford enter Saturday’s Pac-12 game at Palo Alto, Calif., aiming to correct their struggles on offense.

Stanford (3-5, 1-5 Pac-12) is coming off a 38-13 loss at then-No. 12 UCLA as Cardinal quarterback Tanner McKee passed for only 115 yards with an interception while completing 13-of-29 attempts.

Washington State (4-4, 1-4) is in the midst of a three-game losing streak largely because the Cougars are averaging only 13.7 points during that span. They produced 264 total yards (222 passing) in last week’s 21-17 loss against then-No. 14 Utah.

“Offensively, we’re just not doing anything well to lean our hat on right now,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert said. “It’s not being able to run the ball … negative plays, not being able to take it down the field.

“Right now, it’s just ineffective play and not being able to keep the chains moving.”

The Cardinal, meanwhile, resorted to two field goals by Joshua Karty for their scoring against UCLA until McKee completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Yurosek with 4:11 left in the game.

Karty accounted for the scoring with five field goals in a 15-14 win over Arizona State the previous week and made three field goals in a 16-14 victory at Notre Dame the week before that.

“A big thing is diagnosing what the issue is,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “If it’s one guy, you take that one person out. It’s a myriad of things.”

Stanford was down to its fifth-string running back against UCLA, starting walk-on Caleb Robinson.

Members of Shaw’s backfield have either suffered injuries or transferred since last season.

Robinson had 10 carries for 36 yards against UCLA before leaving with an undisclosed injury.

“We’ll retool, we’ll see who’s healthy,” Shaw said. “We have to be balanced. We can’t just have a straight drop-back game. We have to be balanced with the run to keep people honest.”

Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward completed 27-of-31 passes against Utah, but 20 of those passes — including incompletions — traveled 5 yards or less.

–Field Level Media