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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
Florida State moved back into the top 4, and Ohio State dropped four spots to No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night.
Georgia remained No. 1, while Michigan moved up one spot to No. 2 and Washington is now at No. 3. The Wolverines beat the rival Buckeyes 30-24 this past Saturday to clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game and deal a big blow to Ohio State’s playoff hopes.
The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the first CFP rankings Oct. 31. Ohio State also lost to Michigan last year but made it into the playoff after USC lost in the Pac-12 championship game. There is one key difference from last year: Ohio State dropped to No. 5 after the loss to Michigan. This year, the Buckeyes will need more help to finish in the top 4.
That would include a Florida State loss to Louisville in the ACC championship game on Saturday night in Charlotte. The Seminoles played their first game without starting quarterback Jordan Travis last weekend against rival Florida, and while new starter Tate Rodemaker looked shaky at times, Florida State found a way to win 24-15.
The big question headed into tonight’s rankings was how the committee would view the Seminoles with Rodemaker behind center. After dropping to No. 5 last week – based on what the committee said was Washington’s stronger strength of schedule – Florida State was able to get back into the top 4 with the Ohio State loss and stay ahead of the four one-loss teams stacked behind. That is seemingly good news for its playoff hopes should it remain undefeated.
Every conference championship game this weekend is bound to have playoff implications — starting with the SEC championship between Georgia and No. 8 Alabama in Atlanta.
The Pac-12 championship game between Washington and No. 5 Oregon on Friday night is likely to produce one playoff team as well. The Huskies beat the Ducks earlier this year at home 36-33 in a game that went down to the final play. Oregon has had far more decisive wins than Washington down the stretch. If the Ducks win, as the highest-ranked one-loss team, they would all but assuredly be in.
Michigan plays No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. A win and the Wolverines would have their third straight CFP appearance.
As for the Big 12 championship game between No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Oklahoma State, the Longhorns need to win and hope for some help above them, too.
Tulane remains the top-ranked Group of 5 school at No. 22. The Green Wave play SMU in the AAC championship game on Saturday. A win would all but ensure a spot in a New Year’s Six game for the second straight season.
