By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer

Washington surpassed Florida State and secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, ranking fourth in the Tuesday night standings.

The top three picks of the selection committee remained unchanged, with Georgia in first place, followed by Big Ten competitors Ohio State and Michigan.

On Saturday, the Buckeyes and Wolverines will compete in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the team that wins will move on to the Big Ten championship game.

Previously, Washington had been holding the fifth spot in the rankings for three weeks, trailing behind Florida State. However, they were able to secure another win against a ranked team last week by defeating Oregon State.

The fifth-ranked Florida State team maintained their unbeaten record, but unfortunately lost quarterback Jordan Travis to a left leg injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

“The focus was on Washington and their actions over the weekend,” remarked Boo Corrigan, chairman of the selection committee, during an ESPN interview.

For the fourth consecutive week, Oregon ranked sixth, Texas ranked seventh, and Alabama ranked eighth.

For the second consecutive week, Missouri took the ninth spot and Louisville maintained tenth place.

There are only two remaining rankings to be announced. The final ranking will be revealed on December 3rd when the four teams for the playoff are determined.

Travis’ injury could create a conundrum for the committee, which is instructed to consider how losing a key player impacts a team. Travis is a Heisman Trophy contender and one of the most important players in the country.

During the initial period of the game against North Alabama, a lower division team, he sustained severe injuries. However, Florida State managed to win comfortably with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker taking over.

In his fourth year on the team, Rodemaker had 13 successful passes out of 23 attempts, totaling 217 yards and resulting in two touchdowns. So far this season, he has thrown five touchdown passes and zero interceptions out of 31 attempts.

“According to Florida State coach Mike Norvell, it was not surprising to anyone on our team that Rodemaker performed well this week, as we have witnessed him do so in the past. I have been consistently telling my players for three years now that when their chance comes, they should just be themselves. I have complete faith in his abilities.”

According to Corrigan, Travis’ injury did not affect FSU’s ranking for this week.

Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, stated that the upcoming weeks will revolve around this topic. It is important not to anticipate what will happen in the following week.

A prediction of Florida State’s performance without Travis will only be made after all of their games have been completed and it is time to select the four teams for the national championship.

“After the completion of the conference championship games, we can assess the availability of players,” stated Corrigan.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com