Here's what you need to know ahead of the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings release

College Football Playoff selection committee will produce rankings for new 12 -team playoff.

Committee will rank teams as they normally have done, regardless of conference affiliation.

Committee's rankings will likely not correlate with the playoff bracket seeding.

Power conference pecking order, bubble teams jockeying for at-large spots, among other issues.

The Big 12 is in the most dangerous position of having its second -best team left out.

Notre Dame’s only route to the playoff is one of the seven at-large spots.

Boise State is almost certainly to be the committee's highest-ranked Group of Five team.

The Broncos also won at UNLV, which beat middling Big 12 teams Kansas and Houston . When the committee’s rankings are revealed, pay attention to how close — or far apart — Boise State and Army are. And where is Tulane ? The Green Wave have two losses, but both were relatively close and against Kansas State and Oklahoma . Another CFP contender: Louisiana . The Cajuns are a surprising 7-1 and lead the Sun Belt . They won at Wake Forest and lost a tight one to Tulane ..