The Pac-12 is inching closer to its first College Football Playoff appearance since 2016. The penultimate CFP Top 25 was released live on ESPN Tuesday night and the league had six teams ranked once again, with USC leading the way at No. 4.

USC entered the top four for the first time this season after a 38-27 win over Notre Dame. Utah moved up to No. 11 after a 63-21 demolition of Colorado. On the heels of its Apple Cup win over Washington State, Washington jumped up to No. 12 to give the Pac-12 multiple teams inside the top 15 for the fifth straight week.

With a 38-34 win over the Ducks in Corvallis, Oregon State jumped ahead of Oregon in the latest ranking — correcting an issue many had with the latest AP poll when the Ducks remained one spot ahead of the Beavers. The two in-state counterparts sit at No. 15 and No. 16, same as in the AP poll, but the CFP committee gave Oregon State the edge.

UCLA, which survived an upset bid from Cal on Friday, checked in at No. 17 in the ranking.

The full attention of the country now shifts to the Pac-12 Championship Game next Friday in Las Vegas. USC (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) will face Utah (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) at 5 p.m. PT on FOX with a spot in the CFP on the line. A win for the Trojans will likely send them to the Playoff.

The CFP field will officially be set during a selection show on Sunday, Dec. 4, that begins at 9 a.m. PT on ESPN.

The rest of the Top 25 can be seen below:

  1. Georgia
  2. Michigan
  3. TCU
  4. USC
  5. Ohio State
  6. Alabama
  7. Tennessee
  8. Penn State
  9. Clemson
  10. Kansas State
  11. Utah
  12. Washington
  13. Florida State
  14. LSU
  15. Oregon State
  16. Oregon
  17. UCLA
  18. Tulane
  19. South Carolina
  20. Texas
  21. Notre Dame
  22. UCF
  23. North Carolina
  24. Mississippi State
  25. NC State