PLAYOFF RANKINGS: Ohio St up; Michigan, Clemson Still Top 4

Despite three of the top four teams losing from last week’s ranking, MI and Clemson remain in the top four in the latest rankings released Tuesday night on ESPN.

Alabama (10-0) remained No. 1 in this week’s CFP rankings.

The committee also could put two Big Ten teams in the four-team playoff: the champion plus an 11-1 Ohio State.

Despite the losses, the trio didn’t wind up completely out in the cold. MI was upended by Iowa on the road 14-13 as that game also ended on a last-second field goal.

A win in Orlando would essentially lock up a playoff spot for Clemson given the Tigers’ 12-1 record and a solid strength of schedule that includes victories against four ranked opponents.

“The committee this week spent a good deal of time on teams 2 through 6, ” selection chairman Kirby Hocutt said. At this point, the only thing for certain is that if Alabama takes care of business and wins out, they will have the top spot.

5 p.m. ET: Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual: No. 7 Wisconsin vs.

UP: No. 12 Colorado and No. 13 Oklahoma State each moved up four spots. Colorado, 11. Oklahoma State, 12. After an easy win over Mississippi State and Georgia beating Auburn, Alabama is playing in the SEC title game, and even a defeat will still put them in the CFP due to their body of work.

A win over Kentucky propelled Tennessee back into the rankings as the Vols wind up at No. 19. Pitt is unranked but they’ve beaten Penn State. You still have your top-25 rankings (which would determining seeding) and ESPN still gets its show each week. 4 and 5 after losses to Iowa and Pittsburgh, respectively.

Even if Ohio State (currently 6-1 in the Big Ten) defeats Michigan on November 26, the Buckeyes won’t reach the Big Ten championship game unless Penn State (also 6-1 in the Big Ten) loses one of its final two regular-season games against Rutgers and Michigan State. If Clemson loses at Wake Forest, the Cardinals will be in the ACC title game and in great position to lock up a playoff spot.

Right now, that’s all UW can do – keep winning and see what happens. And what if No. 7 Wisconsin beats Penn State in the Big Ten title game? They will be heavy favorites in both games.

With four teams total in the top eight, the Big Ten has a very realistic chance at getting two teams into the playoff barring another week of insane upsets.

The Cardinals’ hurdle could be even more hard to clear than the Buckeyes’.

But the committee kept Clemson ahead of its ACC counterpart, citing a stronger overall schedule and that the Tigers did win the head-to-head meeting.

And having the likely Heisman Trophy victor in quarterback Lamar Jackson doesn’t provide Louisville any bonus points from the committee. Run the table and Alabama will be the No. 1 seed in the playoff and play a CFP semifinal in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The win propelled Penn State in to the top 25 for the first time since 2011. “I can’t control what the 12 committee members decide who’s ranked such and such this week”. Coming in at the two next with an outside shot at the playoffs is Louisville at No. 5 and Washington at No. 6. I expect Ohio State to leapfrog the Huskies and actually move all the way up to No. 2 this week.