Grapevine, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - TCU's thorough victory over Kansas State last weekend moved the Horned Frogs into the fourth spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
TCU (8-1) and Kansas State were sixth and seventh, respectively, last week, and the Horned Frogs' 41-20 drubbing moved them past Alabama, which remained at No. 5.
That position will quickly change for the Crimson Tide (8-1), who host No. 1 Mississippi State (9-0) this Saturday after outlasting LSU in overtime.
The Bulldogs held the top spot for the third straight week and were followed by Oregon and Florida State. The one-loss Ducks (9-1) moved ahead of the undefeated Seminoles (9-0) in Tuesday's release.
"We spent a lot of time discussing the merits of the top teams this week," said selection committee chairman Jeff Long. "We clearly look at the win/loss record, but we also look beyond the record to other factors indicating overall strength. Our thinking is consistent. Strength of schedule and body of work are important. Week in and week out, we will begin with a fresh look at all the teams and a clean sheet of paper which provides us with new perspective."
Ohio State made a big jump following its convincing win over Michigan State, as the Buckeyes (8-1) moved up five spots to No. 8.
Arizona State and Baylor sit at six and seven, respectively, while Auburn and Ole Miss rounded out this week's top 10.
UCLA, Michigan State, Kansas State, Arizona, Georgia, Nebraska, LSU, Notre Dame, Clemson, Wisconsin, Duke, Georgia Tech, Utah, Texas A&M and Minnesota complete the top 25.
There will be four more votes by the 12-member selection committee culminating on Dec. 7, when the four teams that will play in the national semifinals on Jan. 1 will be announced.
The winners of the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day will move on to the national championship game on Jan. 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The playoff replaces the oft-criticized Bowl Championship Series, which was in place from 1998 until last season.
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