Top 4 CFP teams same; NU No. 25

With three games matching teams in the selection committee’s top 10, the College Football Playoff race might become a lot clearer Saturday. Or more muddled.

Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson held their spots in the top four of the selection committee rankings Tuesday, and unbeaten Miami moved up three spots to No. 7 before its showdown Saturday against the Fighting Irish.

Oklahoma remained fifth, and TCU moved up to sixth. The Sooners and Horned Frogs play a key Big 12 game Saturday, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the conference.

The other game that matches teams in the top 10 sees Georgia visiting Auburn, which came in at No. 10.

After Miami in the rankings comes unbeaten Wisconsin, which is the highest- ranked Big Ten team at No. 8. The Hurricanes jumped past the Badgers after defeating Virginia Tech handily Saturday. Wisconsin, meanwhile, pulled away late in a rout of Indiana.

Selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt, the athletic director at Texas Tech, said the committee was impressed by Miami’s most convincing victory of the season against a solid Hokies team.

‘‘ That strengthened their résumé more than, I would say, Wisconsin strengthened their résumé with a win over a three- win Indiana team,’’ Hocutt said.

No. 14 Penn State and No. 15 Ohio State fell out of the top 10 after losses Saturday. The Nittany Lions fell 27- 24 to No. 12 Michigan State, and the Buckeyes were routed by No. 20 Iowa 55- 24.

Northwestern entered the rankings at No. 25. It is the first time the Wildcats’ football and basketball programs have been ranked simultaneously. The NU basketball team is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press’ preseason poll.

UCF came in at No. 18, the highest- ranked team from outside the Power Five conferences. The highest- ranked conference champion from the Group of Five leagues is guaranteed a spot in one of the New Year’s Six Bowls, and the American Athletic Conference is in prime position to grab that bid, likely to the Peach or Fiesta bowl.

UCF is unbeaten and leading the AAC’s East Division, and No. 22 Memphis is in first place in the AAC West. No other Group of Five conferences are represented in the rankings.