CFP Rankings: Washington joins top 4 for 1st time this year

Washington joined the top four for the first time this season in Tuesday's edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia continues to hold the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, and the Huskies.

The Bulldogs extended their winning streak with a dominant 38-10 showing against Tennessee to retain the No. 1 ranking. Ohio State handled Minnesota 37-3 while Michigan secured a 31-24 win over Maryland to set up a clash of undefeated titans in The Game this weekend. Washington usurps Florida State after taking down Oregon State 22-20.

Florida State slips one spot to No. 5 after losing quarterback Jordan Travis to a severe leg injury in the team's 58-13 win over North Alabama. CFP chairman Boo Corrigan said that Travis' injury did not impact the team's ranking, according to Action Network's Brett McMurphy.

Corrigan also stated that game locations and head-to-head records are important, per CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee, which factored into Washington's rise after defeating ranked Oregon State on the road last weekend.

That would also give the winner of the matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines the inside track to functionally clinching a playoff spot.

While Ohio State and Michigan play each other for rivalry week, Georgia will take on Georgia Tech and Washington will host Washington State. The Yellow Jackets own a 6-5 record while the Cougars are 5-6.

Oregon remains the highest-ranked team with a loss at No. 6 after downing Arizona State 49-13. The Ducks' offense excelled against the Sun Devils with quarterback Bo Nix throwing for 404 yards and six touchdowns on 24-for-29 passing before giving way to backup Ty Thompson.

Texas takes on Texas Tech this week to close its regular season. The Longhorns likely need other results to go their way to reach the top four because they won't have an opportunity to take down any of the teams ranked above them in the coming weeks.

Alabama could leapfrog several spots if the Crimson Tide take down rival Auburn this week and defeat Georgia for the SEC title on Dec. 2.

Missouri and Louisville round out the top 10 after wins over Florida and Miami, respectively. Meanwhile, Liberty, Clemson, and NC State all make their first appearances of the year.