Grapevine, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - TCU and Baylor didn't play in a conference championship game. Despite 11-1 records, they're out and Big Ten winner Ohio State is into the national semifinals.
A day after their 59-0 rout of Wisconsin, the Buckeyes jumped to fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings on Sunday, giving Urban Meyer's team a shot at the national title.
SEC winner Alabama (12-1) remained No. 1 in the rankings and Pac-12 champion Oregon (12-1) stayed No. 2. ACC winner and reigning national champion Florida State (13-0) moved up one spot to No. 3.
Alabama will play Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Oregon will take on Florida State in the Rose Bowl, also on New Year's Day.
The winners will play for the national championship on Jan. 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The playoffs replaced the oft-criticized BCS, which was in place from 1998 until last season.
Controversy did not die with the old system.
The 12-member committee had some tough decisions and there were big changes from last week.
TCU fell from third to sixth despite a 55-3 rout of Iowa State on Saturday. Baylor, which was sixth in the rankings last week, gained a share of the Big 12 title with TCU thanks to a 38-27 win over Kansas State Saturday night and moved to No. 5. Baylor beat TCU 61-58 on Oct. 11.
"They need to have somebody on there that knows the teams in this part of the nation," Baylor coach Art Briles said referring to the makeup of the committee. "The only person born on the south in that committee is Condoleezza Rice. When Archie Manning went off, I said 'we're in trouble.'"
Despite being down to its third-string quarterback, Ohio State (12-1) was able to get into the semifinals by winning its 11th consecutive game since losing to Virginia Tech 35-21 on Sept. 6.
Alabama (12-1) heads to the Sugar Bowl off a 42-13 rout of Missouri in the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide have won eight in a row since a 23-17 loss at Ole Miss on Oct. 4.
"The opportunity to host two national powers with such great tradition is a true honor," said Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan. "Alabama boasts 15 national championships and met the challenge of another difficult SEC season, while Ohio State has been a perennial power in the Big Ten and has seven national titles of its own. With all that, we have little doubt that this game will produce another memorable chapter in the great history of the Sugar Bowl."
Oregon (12-1) pounded Arizona 51-13 Friday night in the Pac-12 title game. Led by quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Heisman Trophy favorite, the Ducks have also won eight straight games. Their only loss came Oct. 2 to Arizona.
"Obviously the inaugural year of the College Football Playoff is exciting for our team and our fans, and it's that much more exciting to be at the Rose Bowl," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said.
The Seminoles (13-0) captured their third straight ACC title with a 37-35 win over Georgia Tech Saturday night. Florida State, which entered the game No. 4 in the CFP rankings, extended its winning streak to 29 games.
"We're a very fast team ourselves, but they do it at such a high level, and with their efficiency, it's off the charts," Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said of the Ducks. "They're unbelievably explosive at what they do.
"Both teams will have the same opportunity to learn each other's tendencies, and it's a chance for both coaches to put in things that break your tendencies."
It will be the first-ever meeting between Florida State and Oregon, while Alabama is 3-0 all-time against Ohio State. The last time the teams met was at the Citrus Bowl in January 1995.
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