LSU at No. 5, top four teams hold steady in CFP

After overcoming pugnacious games against unranked opponents, the apical 4 teams successful the College Football Playoff rankings remained the aforesaid Tuesday night, portion LSU stayed 1 spot up of USC astatine No. 5.

Georgia led disconnected the CFP enactment committee's rankings for the 3rd consecutive week, followed by Ohio State astatine No. 2, Michigan astatine No. 3 and TCU astatine No. 4. The Buckeyes and Wolverines, who play this coming Saturday successful Columbus, some trailed successful the 2nd fractional past week earlier keeping their undefeated records intact. Michigan and TCU some needed go-ahead tract goals successful the last infinitesimal to clasp disconnected Illinois and Baylor, respectively.

USC's melodramatic roadworthy triumph implicit crosstown rival UCLA wasn't capable to leapfrog two-loss LSU, which bushed UAB 41-10 astatine Tiger Stadium. Lincoln Riley's squad appeared astatine No. 5 successful some the AP and Coaches' polls connected Sunday, USC's archetypal AP top-five ranking since September 2017. The Trojans' lone nonaccomplishment came by 1 constituent connected the roadworthy against Utah, which fell to No. 14 aft its nonaccomplishment astatine Oregon.

Tennessee, which occupied the No. 5 spot past week, fell to No. 10 aft its 63-38 roadworthy nonaccomplishment to South Carolina.

LSU finishes the regular play astatine Texas A&M earlier facing Georgia successful the SEC title game. USC this week hosts Notre Dame, which moved up 3 spots to No. 15 successful the enactment committee's rankings. The Trojans' Pac-12 title hostile volition beryllium determined this coming weekend, though Oregon, which moved up 3 spots to No. 9 aft the Utah win, tin clinch a spot successful Las Vegas by beating No. 21 Oregon State connected the road.

An Oregon nonaccomplishment this week would unfastened the doorway for No. 13 Washington and Utah to scope the Pac-12 championship.

Alabama and Clemson some moved up a spot successful the rankings to No. 7 and No. 8. Clemson volition not big a ranked South Carolina squad Saturday, but has wins implicit Florida State, which moved up 3 spots to No. 16, and Louisville, which entered the rankings astatine No. 25. Clemson is acceptable for an ACC title matchup with North Carolina, which lone fell 4 spots to No. 17 aft losing to a 4-6 Georgia Tech squad astatine location this past Saturday.

TCU, which hosts Iowa State connected Saturday, volition look either No. 12 Kansas State oregon No. 23 Texas successful adjacent week's Big 12 title game. Kansas State, which moved up 3 spots successful Tuesday's rankings, tin clinch a spot by beating Kansas. If Kansas State falls, Texas would spell if it beats Baylor.

Tulane is erstwhile again the highest-ranked Group of 5 squad astatine No. 19, pursuing its location triumph implicit SMU and UCF's location nonaccomplishment to Navy. The Green Wave connected Friday sojourn No. 24 Cincinnati, and the victor volition big the American Athletic Conference rubric crippled adjacent week. The Tulane-Cincinnati victor could look a rematch successful the championship, but No. 22 UCF and Houston besides could scope the game.