The release of the first College Football Playoff rankings, coupled with the start of MACtion, is a signal that we are getting to the home stretch of the season.

On Tuesday night, fans received their first glimpse of CFP rankings, and it should come as no surprise to that the Ohio State Buckeyes took the top mark. 

November is the time of the year when the teams that are serious about making a run at the National Championship truly begin to separate themselves from the pretenders. Week 10 in College Football was a perfect example, as the Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers had dominate victories, while Georgia Tech and Miami both stumbled and made a push to the playoff nearly impossible. 

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When a bracket is released, the first thing fans do is search to find where your team landed, followed by looking up who their team will be playing first.

As the No. 1 seed, head coach Ryan Day and his squad receive a huge advantage in the second round, or so they should. In this version of the rankings, the Buckeyes would be facing the winner between Oregon and Texas Tech. 

This is the perfect time to remind everyone of the electric atmosphere during a home playoff game. Ohio State fans experienced one of the best environments inside the Horseshoe last year against Tennessee, and there is no reason to believe that this year's playoff game would be any different. 

This first version of the rankings put first round games at Texas Tech, Georgia, Ole Miss and BYU. If BYU gets a home playoff game, lookout for an unbelievable atmosphere.

The one in Lubbock would have the attention of Buckeyes fans everywhere. Would Ohio State and Oregon be set up for a rematch in the quarterfinals, or would Texas Tech hold strong and get a chance to take down the mighty Buckeyes?

One month ago, both teams had the potential to hang with Ohio State and potentially give them a really tough challenge. However, as of now, Ohio State is head and shoulders above both of those teams.

If the bracket shakes out this way, Ohio State won't have to sweat until the eventual matchup in the Semifinal with either Georgia or Alabama.

There is still so much time left in the season, and the likelihood of the bracket looking anything like this is slim. Instead, this is the first brush stroke in the painting that will become the College Football Playoff, setting off your imagination to dream of what each game will take place. And for Buckeyes fans, that dream is ending in Miami, Florida, in late January.