USC joins Georgia, Michigan, TCU in CFP's top 4

Georgia, Michigan, TCU and USC are each poised to marque the College Football Playoff with wins successful their league title games this play aft the enactment committee unveiled its penultimate rankings connected Tuesday.

There was nary alteration astatine the top, arsenic Georgia (12-0) remained No. 1. But aft Michigan (12-0) bushed Ohio State 45-23 past Saturday, the Wolverines jumped 1 spot to No. 2. TCU (12-0) stayed astatine No. 3, and USC (11-1) made its archetypal quality successful the apical 4 aft the Buckeyes and LSU lost.

Ohio State dropped to No. 5, and present indispensable anticipation for upsets and chaos successful the upcoming titles games to perchance get an accidental to marque it backmost into the playoff mix. But overmuch of that volition beryllium connected not lone the results, but however the committee would presumption an undefeated squad that loses successful the league rubric game, since Ohio State volition not beryllium playing an other game.

Conference title play could supply small play if the apical 4 teams win. It each begins connected Friday nighttime erstwhile No. 11 Utah (9-3) and USC play successful the Pac-12 title crippled successful Las Vegas. Utah handed USC its lone nonaccomplishment of the play successful October, 43-42, erstwhile backmost Cam Rising ran for a 1-yard touchdown, and successfully converted the 2-point conversion effort with 48 seconds left.

On Saturday, Georgia plays No. 14 LSU (9-3) successful the SEC title game; TCU plays No. 10 Kansas State (9-3) successful the Big 12 title crippled and Michigan plays Purdue (8-4) successful the Big Ten title game. The apical 4 CFP teams are favored to win.

If 1 oregon much teams lose, the committee mightiness person tougher decisions to make. But see this: Beyond the Top 5, each different ranked squad has 2 oregon much losses, and nary two-loss squad has ever made the College Football Playoff.

The highest ranked among the two-loss teams is Alabama astatine No. 6, followed by Tennessee astatine No. 7. Penn State astatine No. 8, Clemson astatine No. 9 and Kansas State astatine No. 10 circular retired the Top 10. Clemson plays No. 23 North Carolina (9-3) successful the ACC title crippled connected Saturday arsenic well, but aft the Tigers mislaid to South Carolina 31-30 past Saturday, they were fundamentally eliminated from playoff contention.

That triumph implicit Clemson helped South Carolina (8-4) spell from unranked to the No. 19 spot this week. In summation to beating Clemson, the Gamecocks bushed Tennessee 63-38 the erstwhile week -- becoming the archetypal unranked squad to triumph consecutive games against AP Top-10 opponents since Auburn successful 2003.

Tulane (10-2) is conscionable up of South Carolina astatine No. 18 and hosts No. 22 UCF (9-3) connected Saturday successful the American Athletic Conference title game. The victor would astir assuredly beryllium the highest ranked Group of 5 team, and gain a spot successful a New Year's Six game.

The last rankings volition beryllium released connected Sunday, followed by vessel announcements for the teams who don't marque it.