Familiar faces on top as rankings reshuffle

Alabama and Clemson are back on top of the College Football Playoff rankings, the ninth time over the past three seasons that the Crimson Tide and Tigers have held the first two spots in some order.

Alabama was the selection committee’s new No. 1 on Tuesday night, with Clemson up two spots to No. 2. Miami and Oklahoma followed, joining the top four for the first time this season. Wisconsin was fifth and Auburn was up to sixth.

Alabama and Clemson have met in the past two nationalchampionship games, with each winning one. If they win out, there is good chance they could enter the postseason positioned to make it three straight titlegame matchups.

The Crimson Tide had been second behind Georgia in the first two selection-committee rankings, but the Bulldogs and previously No. 3 Notre Dame were beaten Saturday, opening the top for changes.

Unbeaten Miami jumped from seventh to third and with Clemson gave the Atlantic Coast Conference two top-four teams for the first time in the four-year College Football Playoff era.

Oklahoma moved up one spot. Unbeaten Wisconsin moved up from eighth to fifth and is the highest-ranked Big Ten team. Auburn at No. 6 is the highest-ranked team with two losses. Georgia is seventh and Notre Dame is eighth.

Ohio State is back in the top 10 after an impressive victory against Michigan State, and Penn State is 10th. USC at 11th is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team. Stanford is No. 22.

Clemson and Miami meet in the ACC title game Dec. 2, and barring a big upset before then, it’s a playoff play-in game.

Oklahoma can rest easy, too. The Sooners should be fine if they win out and are Big 12 champions.

And Wisconsin has to be feeling better. If the ACC teams take care of each other, that should clear a spot for the Badgers if they can keep winning.

Auburn gets a crack at Alabama and, if it wins the Iron Bowl, another game against Georgia for the SEC title. So the Tigers don’t have to worry anybody but themselves.

Georgia still can win the SEC by either paying back Auburn or beating Alabama. The Bulldogs’ path is clear.

Notre Dame can finish 10-2 and add victories against Navy and Stanford to a resume that is already solid with wins over USC, Michigan State and N.C. State. Still, the Irish are going to need some upsets to jump back into the top four.

Then there is Ohio State. The Buckeyes still can win the Big Ten, and knocking off Wisconsin in the title game definitely gives Ohio State hope. But with two losses, including a lopsided one at Iowa, the Buckeyes could find themselves in an unfavorable comparison with the loser of the SEC or ACC title game.