Tuesday's first College Football Playoff rankings gave nearly every fan base something to parse. The biggest surprise near the top: Kentucky at No. 6 — the Wildcats' highest ranking of the entire CFP era.

Texas landed at No. 7, and despite October conference losses to Oklahoma and Florida, the Longhorns still project to qualify for the playoff field if they take care of business down the stretch. Out west, UCLA is back in the playoff conversation under coach Bob Chesney, a turnaround that has the Bruins relevant in November for the first time in years.

Further down the top 25, Oregon secured a spot inside the committee's first rankings, while Iowa fans got their answer on where the Hawkeyes stand as the Big Ten race tightens. With weekly re-ranks starting next Tuesday and a month of conference play left, every one of these positions is provisional — but for Kentucky and UCLA in particular, simply being in the conversation marks a season already ahead of schedule.