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Michigan’s first victory over rival Ohio State in 10 years has given the Wolverines a clear path to their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
After upsetting the Buckeyes 42-27 at the Big House on Saturday, the Wolverines are No. 2 in the selection committee’s latest rankings, released Tuesday night. The final rankings, determining which four teams will play in the two CFP semifinals on New Year’s Eve, will be released Sunday at noon ET on ESPN.
Unbeaten Georgia remained No. 1 for the fifth consecutive week, followed by Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State.
As long as Michigan defeats No. 13 Iowa in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, it figures to play in a CFP semifinal at either the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic or Capital One Orange Bowl.
Georgia reached 12-0 for the first time since its last national championship season in 1980 with a 45-0 victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Bulldogs play Alabama in Saturday’s SEC championship game in Atlanta. Georgia might get into the CFP even if it loses to the Crimson Tide because of its dominance this season.
“I don’t see how that has anything to do with anything,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “I’ve said all my career that to win SEC championships is almost just as hard, because the years I spent at Alabama you could say that winning the SEC championship was just as hard as trying to win a national championship, and it’s one of our goals. We want to put it on this wall in [the team meeting room] and to do that you’ve got to win the SEC. That’s what we’re focused on.”
The Crimson Tide’s ranking remained unchanged after yet another closer-than-expected victory, 24-22 in four overtimes at Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Alabama, the defending national champion, won each of its final three SEC games by seven points or fewer.
Cincinnati, which is attempting to become the first team from a Group of 5 conference to crash the CFP, plays No. 21 Houston at home in Saturday’s AAC…
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Source : espn
