Clemson held its spot at no. 3 in the College Football Playoff Rankings released, Tuesday. Ohio State, LSU and Georgia also held their positions at first, second and fourth, respectively. Utah moved into the top five by virtue of Alabama tumbling down to no. 12 after falling to rival Auburn. Oklahoma moved from seventh to sixth after knocking off Oklahoma State.
Coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers find themselves in a great position to make the College Football Playoff for the fifth consecutive season. Only ACC Coastal division champion Virginia stands between the Tigers and a chance to defend their National Championship. The rest of the playoff picture is more muddled.
LSU and Georgia will meet for the SEC Championship, Saturday. It’s clear the winner of that game will be a part of the College Football Playoff, but a one-loss LSU may still have a case to be included in the fray. Ohio State, also undefeated, finds itself in a similar situation. The Buckeyes will square off with no. 8 Wisconsin for the Big Ten title. Utah has a date with no. 13 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship. The Utes will need to win and hope to swap places with one of the current top four. Oklahoma will meet no. 7 Baylor for the Big 12 Championship. The winner of that game will be 12-1 and be involved in the discussion, as well.
College Football Playoff Rankings
| Rank # | Logo | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University | 12-0 | |
| 2 | Louisiana State University | 12-0 | |
| 3 | Clemson University | 12-0 | |
| 4 | University of Georgia | 11-1 | |
| 5 | University of Utah | 11-1 | |
| 6 | University of Oklahoma | 11-1 | |
| 7 | Baylor University | 11-1 | |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin | 10-2 | |
| 9 | University of Florida | 10-2 | |
| 10 | Penn State University | 10-2 | |
| 11 | Auburn University | 9-3 | |
| 12 | University of Alabama | 10-2 | |
| 13 | University of Oregon | 10-2 | |
| 14 | University of Michigan | 9-3 | |
| 15 | University of Notre Dame | 10-2 | |
| 16 | University of Iowa | 9-3 | |
| 17 | University of Memphis | 11-1 | |
| 18 | University of Minnesota | 10-2 | |
| 19 | Boise State University | 11-1 | |
| 20 | University of Cincinnati | 10-2 | |
| 21 | Appalachian State University | 11-1 | |
| 22 | University of Southern California | 8-4 | |
| 23 | University of Virginia | 9-3 | |
| 24 | United States Naval Academy | 9-2 | |
| 25 | Oklahoma State University | 8-4 |
