Saturday's matchup between Ohio State and Michigan is officially worthy of the College Football Playoff, at least in the eyes of the selection committee.
The Buckeyes again check in at No. 2 in the latest slate of rankings, released Tuesday on ESPN. The Wolverines are No. 3 for the second straight week. The two rivals meet at Ohio Stadium on Saturday at high noon.
Unbeaten Alabama is No. 1 in the rankings for the fourth straight week. Clemson is No. 4 to keep the top four teams the same as a week ago.
Louisville's loss at Houston last Thursday dropped the Cardinals from fifth to 11th. Washington moved up one spot to No. 5 and Wisconsin is No. 6.
Penn State, Oklahoma, Colorado and Oklahoma State round out the top 10. As it stands now, Ohio State will have played half of the teams in the top-8 after Saturday's game against Michigan.
You can see the full rankings here.
The top-4 of these rankings echo to top-4 of the latest AP Poll.
| Rank | Team | Conf. | Record | Key Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA | SEC | 11-0 | AUBURN (11/26), FLORIDA (12/3-SEC TITLE) |
| 2 | OHIO STATE | BIG TEN | 10-1 | MICHIGAN (11/26) |
| 3 | MICHIGAN | BIG TEN | 10-1 | @ OHIO STATE (11/26) |
| 4 | CLEMSON | ACC | 10-1 | SOUTH CAROLINA (11/26) |
| 5 | WASHINGTON | PAC-12 | 10-1 | @ WASHINGTON STATE (11/25) |
| 6 | WISCONSIN | BIG TEN | 9-2 | MINNESOTA (11/26) |
| 7 | PENN STATE | BIG TEN | 9-2 | MICHIGAN STATE (11/26) |
| 8 | OKLAHOMA | BIG 12 | 9-2 | OKLAHOMA STATE (12/3) |
| 9 | COLORADO | PAC-12 | 9-2 | UTAH (11/26) |
| 10 | OKLAHOMA STATE | BIG 12 | 9-2 | @ OKLAHOMA (12/3) |
| 11 | LOUISVILLE | ACC | 9-2 | KENTUCKY (11/26) |
| 12 | USC | PAC-12 | 8-3 | NOTRE DAME (11/26) |
| 13 | AUBURN | SEC | 8-3 | @ ALABAMA (1126) |
| 14 | FLORIDA STATE | ACC | 8-1 | FLORIDA (11/26) |
| 15 | FLORIDA | SEC | 7-3 | @ FLORIDA (11/26), ALABAMA (12/3-SEC TITLE) |
| 16 | NEBRASKA | BIG TEN | 9-2 | @ IOWA (11/25) |
| 17 | TENNESSEE | SEC | 8-3 | @ VANDERBILT (11/26) |
| 18 | WEST VIRGINIA | BIG 12 | 8-2 | @ IOWA STATE (11/26), BAYLOR (12/3) |
| 19 | BOISE STATE | MWC | 10-1 | @ AIR FORCE (11/25) |
| 20 | HOUSTON | AAC | 9-2 | @ MEMPHIS (11/25) |
| 21 | WESTERN MICHIGAN | MAC | 11-0 | TOLEDO (11/25) |
| 22 | UTAH | PAC-12 | 8-3 | @ COLORADO (11/26) |
| 23 | WASHINGTON STATE | PAC-12 | 8-3 | WASHINGTON (11/25) |
| 24 | STANFORD | PAC-12 | 8-3 | RICE (11/26) |
| 25 | NAVY | AAC | 8-2 | @ SMU (11/26), AAC TITLE (12/3), ARMY (12/10) |
