CFP rankings: Michigan climbs to No. 2, Ohio State drops to No. 6
Washington and Florida State were the respective No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the rankings, released Tuesday on ESPN by the College Football Playoff selection committee.
The Georgia Bulldogs (12-0) beat Georgia Tech (6-6) to stay No. 1 for the third-consecutive week. They will meet Alabama in the SEC title game Saturday in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide (11-1) beat Auburn (6-6) and stayed at No. 8 in the rankings.
The No. 2 Wolverines (12-0) used their 30-24 victory over the Buckeyes to climb up from No. 3. The loss dropped the Buckeyes (11-1), previously ranked No. 2, out of the Top 4 for the first time this season.
The Wolverines will face Iowa (10-2) on Saturday in the Big Ten title game. The Hawkeyes edged Nebraska (5-7) on Friday in Lincoln, Neb., to climb from No. 17 to No. 16.
The Washington Huskies (12-0) beat Washington State (5-7) to move from No. 4 to No. 3. They will battle Oregon on Friday in the Pac-12 title game. The Ducks (11-1) beat Oregon State (8-4) to move from No. 6 to No. 5 in the rankings.
That loss dropped the Beavers from No. 16 to No. 20.
Florida State (12-0) beat Florida (5-7) to climb from No. 5 to No. 4. The Seminoles will face Louisville (10-2) in the ACC championship game on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.
The Cardinals lost to Kentucky (7-5) on Saturday to drop from No. 10 to No. 14.
Texas (11-1) crushed Texas Tech 57-7 on Friday in Austin, Texas, but stayed at No. 7 in the rankings. The Longhorns will face Oklahoma State on Saturday in the Big 12 title game. The Cowboys (9-3) beat BYU (5-7) in overtime to jump from No. 20 to No. 18.
The Missouri Tigers (10-2) and Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) round out the Top 10 teams in the rankings. The Tigers beat Arkansas (4-8) to stay at No. 9. The Nittany Lions crushed Michigan State (4-8) to climb up from No. 11.
The Ole Miss Rebels (9-2) beat Mississippi State (5-7) to climb from No. 12 to No. 11. The Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) edged TCU (5-7) to move from No. 13 to No. 12.
The LSU Tigers (9-3), ranked No. 14 last week, also climbed one spot after beating Texas A&M (7-5). The Arizona Wildcats (9-3) beat Arizona State (3-9) and stayed at No. 15 in the rankings.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-3) beat Stanford (3-9) to climb from No. 18 to No. 17. The North Carolina State Wolfpack (9-3) beat North Carolina (8-4) to jump from No. 22 to No. 19.
Tennessee (8-4) beat Vanderbilt (2-10) to keep the No. 21 spot in the rankings. Tulane (11-1) beat UTSA (8-4) to climb from No. 23 to No. 22. The Green Wave will battle SMU (10-2) on Saturday in the AAC championship game.
The Clemson Tigers (8-4), ranked No. 24 last week, beat South Carolina (5-7) to climb one spot in the rankings. The undefeated Liberty Flames (12-0) beat UTEP (3-9) to improve from No. 25 to No. 24. They will face New Mexico State (10-3) on Friday in the CUSA title game.
The Kansas State Wildcats (8-4) lost to Iowa State (7-5) to drop from No. 19 to No. 25.