TCU jumps FSU into 3rd in playoff rankings
TCU moved up to No. 3 in the final College Football Playoff rankings before the teams are selected to play in the national semifinals, becoming the latest team to jump past undefeated Florida State.
The Seminoles are fourth, still in position to reach the playoff if it can win Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against No. 11 Georgia Tech.
Alabama is No. 1 and Oregon is second for the third straight week. The Crimson Tide plays 16th-ranked Missouri in the Southeastern Conference championship game, and Oregon faces Arizona in the Pac-12 title game.
The Wildcats’ five-spot jump to seventh sets up a possible play-in game in Santa Clara, California, on Friday night. The Wildcats already have beaten Oregon in Eugene and could make another big jump by doing so again.
TCU finishes its regular season at home Saturday against Iowa State, which is winless in the Big 12.
It would seem the top four would be fairly well set as long as each wins this weekend, but committee chairman Jeff Long, the athletic director at Arkansas, said it would be premature to project out because the committee doesn’t.
“We’re waiting for teams to complete their body of work,” he said.
Brady Hoke is out after four years at Michigan.
Interim athletic director Jim Hackett made the announcement Tuesday after weeks of speculation about Hoke’s future.
“I wanted to make sure that Brady received adequate time to exhibit the results that would come from his effort and I believe that Brady and our coaching staff had enough time to produce those results and unfortunately they are not there,” said Hackett, who took over as AD last month. “In the end, I feel that moving in a different direction is the right decision.”
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa took top honors on the defensive side while Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett was selected Freshman of the Year. Minnesota’s Jerry Kill was honored as Coach of the Year by both the conference coaches and media Tuesday.