CFP Poll Week 1: What it means for the VRBO Citrus Bowl

After nine weeks of action on the field, the College Football Playoff released its first rankings of the 2018-19 season Tuesday night.

Bundles including the Citrus Bowl and the Camping World Bowl are available for as low as $80. Sideline and premium seating are available through Florida Citrus Sports membership. To learn more about becoming a member, click here.

Over at FloridaCitrusSports.com, we broke down the Oct. 30 College Football Playoff poll and what it could mean for the Camping World Bowl and VRBO Citrus Bowl this postseason. As it relates to our SEC-Big Ten matchup specifically, it’s impossible to project anything with certainty right now, but the rankings give us a decent idea who could be available in our pick window.

Starting on New Year’s Day, the VRBO Citrus Bowl gets the first pick from both the SEC and Big Ten after the New Year’s Six bowls, and at this point, No. 14 Penn State and No. 16 Iowa are the two highest-ranked Big Ten teams outside that CFP window.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a win over the Hawkeyes and face No. 5 Michigan in Ann Arbor this weekend, followed by a contest with Wisconsin at home on Nov. 10. For its part, Iowa still has tough matchups with Purdue and Northwestern on the docket between now and mid-October.

Shifting to the SEC, No. 18 Mississippi State currently represents the conference’s highest-ranked team outside the CFP series, with Texas A&M close behind at No. 20. However, the Bulldogs visit Alabama on Nov. 10, while the Aggies visit Auburn this weekend and host LSU on Nov. 24.

To read the full CFP Poll recap, including additional analysis and a closer look at the Camping World Bowl selection window, click here.