Iowa moves up to No. 3 in AP poll

Oklahoma moved into third and Iowa was fourth in the new College Football Playoff rankings as Notre Dame slipped to No. 6.

No. 1 Clemson (11-0) and No. 2 Alabama (10-1) remain in the top two positions, but it was No. 3 Oklahoma (10-1) making the biggest splash this week, jumping up four spots after the Sooners’ win over TCU Saturday.

If the Buckeyes were sitting at 10-1 right now but they had lost that game at IN and beaten Michigan State last week, they’d be higher than their current No. 8 spot. But coach Brian Kelly had said earlier Tuesday he believes they will be in if they close the regular season with a win at Stanford (9-2), which is No. 9 in the CFP rankings.

In the fourth standings unveiled by the College Football Playoff selection committee released Tuesday evening, Notre Dame fell to No. 6.

Iowa will play their last game before the Big Ten Championship game Friday night against Nebraska in Lincoln. Iowa is still undefeated and finally in the top four. Ohio State will need a lot of help to reach the playoff for the second straight year, though – beating Michigan (handily) and Penn State knocking off Michigan State this Saturday is a good start. Alabama (10-1) 3. Oklahoma (10-1) 4. Look great against No. 9 Stanford on the road, and it’s Game On again. If things go the Seminoles’ way on Saturday, they could potentially be the beneficiaries of a bump when either Stanford or Notre Dame (No. 6) pick up a loss this weekend. McCaffrey is one of the most electrifying players in college football, a modern-day Reggie Bush, with the No. 5, versatility and Heisman-caliber resume to match the former Trojan.

What if Clemson loses to North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game? Notre Dame is in Palo Alto, Calif., against the ninth-ranked Stanford Cardinal.

A win against OU will surely impress the committee, with how impressive OU has looked down the final stretch.

As it turns out, Oklahoma’s loss to Texas – a team Notre Dame beat by five touchdowns in its season opener – wasn’t a deterrent to ranking the Sooners ahead of the Irish. Having Tom Osborne and Barry Alvarez on the committee also likely enforces a healthy respect for that style of football, and the Big Ten in general.

An Oklahoma loss and a Notre Dame loss could leave Baylor (9-1) and Stanford (9-2) vying for the last spot as conference champions.

What if Penn State beats Michigan State, Michigan beats Ohio State and Michigan beats one-loss Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game – leaving everyone with two losses?

“It certainly has an impact because Baylor continued to play well with the third-team quarterback”, Long said.

Notre Dame routed Texas to open the season, while Okahoma’s only loss is to the Longhorns. Oklahoma made the jump from No. 7 to No. 3, and Iowa comes in at No. 4 this week. Several games this weekend have the potential to shake up the top four even more.

What if Auburn beats Alabama, Ole Miss beats Mississippi State and Florida State beats Florida?

Back to TCU: It’s worth noting that after losing to Oklahoma, the Frogs dropped this week only to No. 19. Northwestern (CFP: No. 16) 15.