Alabama (11-0) was the No. 1 team after claiming its fifth SEC championship during the past seven years. The Crimson Tide appeared to be a lock to make the semifinals going into the weekend and capped a perfect season with a 52-46 win over Florida Saturday.
Clemson (10-1) moved into the No. 2 spot after dominating Notre Dame 34-10 in the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the semifinals.
Ohio State (6-0) climbed to No. 3 after locking up its fourth straight Big Ten championship with a 22-10 win over Northwestern.