Oregon moves into CFP mix

— -- Oregon moved into the mix for a berth in the College Football Playoff, joining last week's holdovers Mississippi State, Florida State and Auburn in the top four of the rankings released Tuesday.

The Bulldogs and Seminoles, both unbeaten through eight games, topped the selection committee's second of seven installments of the rankings. The 12-member committee will ultimately pick the four teams to play in the national semifinals and set the matchups for the other four big New Year's Day bowls that are part of the playoff rotation.

Auburn (7-1) held firm at No. 3, but the fourth spot changed hands. Oregon (8-1), which leads the Pac-12's North Division, was fifth last week but rose when last week's No. 4, Mississippi, lost for the second straight week and tumbled to 11th. The Rebels were beaten at home by Auburn, 35-31.

The rest of the first 10 in the rankings: Alabama, TCU, Kansas State, Michigan State, Arizona State and Notre Dame. Each team has one loss. Pac-12 South leader Arizona State is a newcomer to the top 10, while Kansas State made a ninth-to-seventh jump, the only one to move more than one spot.

After Mississippi, the remainder of teams in the second 10 in the rankings are Baylor, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, Utah, UCLA Bruins, Arizona and Georgia.

Clemson, Duke, West Virginia, Georgia Tech and Wisconsin round out the rankings.