Alabama still tops; Iowa St. up to No. 9
Alabama retained the top spot in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, with the top four spots remaining unchanged.
The Crimson Tide (8-0) were coming off an impressive win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Notre Dame (9-0) remained at No. 2 with the Fighting Irish already have clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after the league announced it would evaluate the title contenders during nine conference games.
Clemson (8-1) was No. 3 with the Tigers looking to secure a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Virginia Tech this weekend.
Ohio State (4-0) retained the fourth spot this week despite having to cancel its game against Illinois on Saturday due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the program.
The Buckeyes returned to the practice field Tuesday with the intent of playing Michigan State this weekend.
If Ohio State loses another game to a cancellation, the Buckeyes may not be eligible for the Big Ten championship game per the league’s minimum requirements.
Texas A&M(6-1) remained at the No. 5 spot ahead of No. 6 Florida (7-1).
The Aggies knocked off the Gators earlier in the season and hold the head-to-head matchup.
Cincinnati (8-0) stood pat at No. 7 after the Bearcats lost a game last week to COVID-19 concerns.
Perhaps the biggest surprise this week was Iowa State (7-2), which moved up four spots to No. 9 after beating Texas 23-20 last Friday.
This is the second of five weekly rankings released by the 13-member selection committee, with the final standings revealed Sunday, Dec. 20. Those rankings will determine the four semifinalists along with the teams taking part in the New Year’s Six bowl games.
The two semifinals, which rotate annually, will take place in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl and in Pasadena, Calif., at the Rose Bowl on Friday, Jan. 1.
The Cotton (Dec. 30), Peach (Jan. 1), Fiesta (Jan. 2) and Orange (Jan. 2) bowls host the rest of the New Year’s Six games.
The top-ranked conference champion from the Group of 5 leagues automatically earns a spot in one of the New Year’s Six Access bowl games.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game is slated for Monday, Jan. 11, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The selection committee is composed of chairman Gary Barta, Paula Boivin, TomBurman, Joe Castiglione, Rick George, Ken Hatfield, Ronnie Lott, Terry Mohajir, Ray Odierno, R.C. Slocum, Todd Stansbury, Scott Stricklin and John Urschel.