The fourth college football playoff standings resembled the previous two at the top. No. 1 Georgia retained the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Michigan and TCU.
It was not won in advance that the quartet would stay there on Saturday. The four remaining undefeated Bowl Subdivision winners won their games last weekend, but none came easy.
The Bulldogs were held to 16 points and won by 10 against Kentucky. The Buckeyes got a late score who made their final against Maryland flattering as the Terrapins turned the ball over on a potentially winning drive. And wolverines and horned frogs the two necessary field goals in the last seconds to defeat Illinois and Baylor, respectively.
Tennessee, however, was not so lucky. The volunteers were ranked fifth last week by the committee and thought they were in first place for the semi-finals. In place, they were routed in South Carolina. Their defeat opened the door for a group of other contenders to come up.
LSU grabs fifth place after losing Alabama-Birmingham. The Tigers — even with two losses — appear to be in control of their own destiny if they can beat Texas A&M this week and then Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Ohio State and Michigan face off this week and the loser is expected to fall.
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After LSU come Southern California and Alabama. Clemson and Oregon hold the eighth and ninth spots. Tennessee completes the top 10 after dropping five spots but must now play the rest of the season without quarterback Hendon Hooker, who suffered a torn ACL at the end of the season in the loss to the Gamecocks.
No. 19 Tulane leads all teams in the group of five. The top-ranked champion in these leagues automatically earns a spot in one of six New Year’s Eve games, likely the Cotton Bowl. The green wave travels to No. 24 Cincinnati and the winner earns a spot in the U.S. Track and Field Championship game.
The Pac-12 has the most reps in the standings with six followed by the SEC and its five teams. The ACC has four teams, and then the American, Big 12 and Big Ten have three each.
The final committee rankings will take place on December 4 and the top four teams will earn playoff spots. The semi-finals will be played at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl on December 31. The championship game will be played on January 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Top 25 College Football Playoff Committee
1. Georgia (11-0)
2. Ohio State (11-0)
3. Michigan (11-0)
4. TCU (11-0)
5. ASU (9-2)
6. Southern California (10-1)
7. Alabama (9-2)
8. Clemson (10-1)
9. Oregon (9-2)
10. Tennessee (9-2)
11. Penn State (9-2)
12. Kansas State (8-3)
13. Washington (9-2)
14. Utah (8-3)
15. Our Lady (8-3)
16. Florida State (8-3)
17. North Carolina (9-2)
18. UCLA (8-3)
19. Tulane (9-2)
20. Mississippi (8-3)
21. Oregon State (8-3)
22. Central Florida (8-3)
23. Texas (7-4)
24. Cincinnati (9-2)
25. Louisville (7-4)
