Last weekend, the Gamecocks won at Clemson — a ranked team — and moved up one spot in the CFP ranking. Alabama won over Auburn — a team that finished 5-7 — and was rewarded with a two-spot bump into the critical No. 11 position, the one that essentially would ensure a spot in the 12-team playoff.

The College Football Playoff committee released the penultimate rankings of the season as Alabama remains in the picture despite three losses.

In the final College Football Playoff bracket projection before Sunday’s reveal, the Crimson Tide would face the Fighting Irish in the first round. The Hurricanes sit just outside the 12-team field.