Buckeyes jump to No. 2, Cincy now in first four

NEW YORK (AP) — Cincinnati moved into position to make the College Football Playoff on Tuesday night, climbing a spot to fourth behind Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama.

A team from outside the Power Five conferences has never been selected for the semifinals in the previous seven years of the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State (10-1) moved up to No. 2 from fourth on the strength of a lopsided victory against Michigan State, and Alabama (10-1) slipped back a spot to three. Oregon’s loss to Utah cleared space in the top four and Cincinnati took it, moving up one spot.

Heading into the final full weekend of games, one loaded with playoff and conference championship implications, Cincinnati (11-0) has a realistic path to a playoff spot no matter what happens around the Bearcats.

“We keep trying to stress to our guys we have a ways to go,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said in an interview with ESPN. “The recognition is well deserved.”

Cincinnati plays at East Carolina (7-4) on Friday and then meets Houston (10-1), ranked 24th by the committee, in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 4.

Before this season, no team from a so-called Group of Five conference had ever been ranked better than seventh by the CFP selection committee.

Michigan (10-1) is fifth heading into its game against Ohio State that should produce the Big Ten’s best shot to make the playoff.

Notre Dame (10-1) is sixth. The Fighting Irish’s only loss is to Cincinnati.

Oklahoma State (10-1) at seventh is the highest ranked Big 12 team.

Selection committee chairman Gary Barta, who is also Iowa’s athletic director, said the Bearcats were compared both to the three teams above and below them when the group was sorting through this week.