CFP Poll, Week 3: What It Means For The Russell Athletic Bowl

The third College Football Playoff Poll was released Tuesday night.  TCU, now ranked at No. 4, controls its own destiny for a chance to play in the national championship. 

The committee’s Top 25 rankings are as follows:

1.        Mississippi State

2.       Oregon

3.       Florida State

4.       TCU

5.       Alabama

6.       Arizona State

7.       Baylor

8.       Ohio State

9.       Auburn

10.   Ole Miss

11.   UCLA

12.   Michigan State

13.   Kansas State

14.   Arizona

15.   Georgia

16.   Nebraska

17.   LSU

18.   Notre Dame

19.   Clemson

20.   Wisconsin

21.   Duke

22.   Georgia Tech

23.   Utah

24.   Texas A&M

25.   Minnesota

If the season ended following Week 11, the Russell Athletic Bowl would likely consist of either Oklahoma or West Virginia from the Big 12 against No. 21 Duke from the ACC or No. 19 Notre Dame.  The Sooners and Fighting Irish have gone head-to-head eleven times, with Notre Dame claiming nine victories – Oklahoma won the most recent game, 35-21. Oklahoma and Duke have played just once in their histories, a whopping 56 years ago.  The Blue Devils lead the ACC Coastal division while the Sooners boast a top-15 scoring offense, making for an intense potential matchup.

West Virginia has played Notre Dame four times, resulting in four Irish victories.  The last time West Virginia played Duke was in 1985, when the Mountaineers earned their first win in the five-game series.