Columbus, Ohio - With the first 2023 College Football Playoff rankings, the committee utterly shocked the college football world by crowing the Ohio State Buckeyes with the coveted No. 1 spot.

Surprisingly, this ranking defies the traditional pecking order that's been seen this season in the AP poll, where the Buckeyes currently sit at a respectable No. 3 behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan.

The Buckeyes' unique positioning in the CFP is undoubtedly influenced by their impressive victories this year over then No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 7 Penn State, which set them apart from the expected front-runners, Georgia and Michigan.

"The win against Penn State, the win at Notre Dame, the win at Wisconsin – they've proven they can do it at home, they've proven they can do it on the road," CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan said on ESPN after the rankings release.

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Corrigan attributed Ohio State's top spot to their formidable defense and their mix of elite players like Marvin Harrison Jr., drawing some major reactions from football fans far and wide.

"Bucks on top. Defense wins championships," one fan tweeted.

"Play big teams win big games," the Play Action Podcast said. "good for Ohio State."

"I know why Ohio State is number one. We all know they’re not the number 1 team but their resume has 'impressive' wins," another fan added.

Despite ongoing allegations and an NCAA investigation into the Michigan football program over a sign-stealing cheating scheme, the Wolverines find themselves ranked at No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2023.

The question on fans' minds is whether the sign-stealing investigation will affect Michigan's playoff prospects this year. College Football Playoff chairman Boo Corrigan has clarified that the investigation does not currently impact the team's playoff eligibility.

"It's an NCAA issue, it's not a CFP issue," Corrigan said. "At this point and time, as we're looking at this, we want to make sure that we get not only the top for teams but the top 25 teams right."

While there's still a possibility of the NCAA taking action to prevent the Wolverines from participating in the postseason, Jim Harbaugh and his team will maintain their ranking for now, according to the playoff committee.