The College Football Playoff selection committee announced their initial Top 25 rankings tonight, with the Minnesota Golden Gophers checking in at No. 17. This is their first appearance in the College Football Playoff rankings since finishing the 2014 regular season ranked No. 25.
Minnesota is currently undefeated (8-0) and ranked No. 13 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. They’ll look to remain unbeaten on Saturday when Penn State rolls into the Twin Cities for a highly-anticipated Top 15 matchup. The Nittany Lions are also undefeated (8-0), and debuted at No. 4 in the playoff committee’s initial rankings.