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GRAPEVINE, Texas - The College Football Playoff selection committee announced its final top four of the season, and No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Washington will be headed to semifinal games. The only change to the top four was that Clemson jumped the Buckeyes after beating Virginia Tech in the ACC championship.?The selection committees top six1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Ohio State 4. Washington 5. Penn State 6. MichiganA change in protocol for committee?The committees top six was vastly different from the first two years of the CFP because for the first time, a team that didnt win its conference title, Ohio State, was included -- instead of the Big Ten champ, Penn State. At 11-1, Ohio State impressed the committee with three wins against top 25 teams, including a road win over Big 12 champ Oklahoma. In spite of the committees high regard for the Big Ten this season, which could make the case as the best league in the country, it left out the conferences champ. It also looked past Michigans decisive 49-10 head-to-head win over Penn State when it ranked the Nittany Lions ahead of Michigan. Penn State will be going to the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champs.The committees final verdict calls into question not only the importance of conference championships, but also head-to-head results (as Penn State also beat Ohio State), and strength of schedule (Washingtons nonconference strength of schedule was No. 127 out of 128 according to ESPNs Stats & Information group.) All of those criteria are listed specifically in the selection committees protocol, and while its a completely subjective, ambiguous system left in the hands of 12 individuals, this ranking is likely to confuse fans, coaches and athletic directors across the country.Nowhere does it say in the committees protocol, though, that a team has to be a conference champion to be in the top four.Playoff impact gamesFriday, Dec. 2Pac-12 championship game: No. 4 Washington 41, ?No. 8 Colorado 10?Saturday, Dec. 3No. 9 Oklahoma 38, No. 10 Oklahoma State 20SEC championship game: No. 1 Alabama 54, No. 15 Florida 16ACC championship game: No. 3 Clemson 42, No. 23 Virginia Tech 35Big Ten championship game:?No. 7 Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31Championship weekend scheduleDexter Manley Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Sammy Baugh Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. https://www.redskinssportsgoods.com/Womens-Art-Monk-Inverted-Jersey/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Wes Martin Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Darrell Green Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate.BALTIMORE -- Its safe to say the media covering the Baltimore Orioles was more concerned about Chris Davis home-run dry spell than the slugger himself. After Davis hit his major league-leading 38th homer to give the Orioles a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, someone asked him how happy he was to end a 10-game, long ball drought. "Oh, Im so happy," he said, quite sarcastically. "I can go home and sleep tonight. Just eat food again. I dont have to wake up every three hours and cry." Davis came in with a .205 batting average since the All-Star break and was without a homer since July 14. The sixth-inning drive off Lucas Harrell (5-11) was his first extra-base hit in seven games and gave Baltimore its first lead. "It was big because of when it happened," Davis said. Later, Davis acknowledged he was trying too hard and swinging at too many bad pitches. "Its not like I felt terrible," he said. "Ive been way too aggressive on balls out of the zone. ... That was my goal today, just to be a little more patient. It obviously paid off." J.J. Hardy hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to start Baltimores comeback from a three-run deficit. The Orioles got only three hits in winning for the second time in seven games. Wei-Yin Chen (6-3) allowed three runs, seven hits and a walk in 7 1-3 innings for his fourth straight win. The left-hander had a season-high nine strikeouts and threw a career-high 119 pitches. "To be honest with you, Im a little tired right now," he said through an interpreter. "This was the first time I threw that many in the U.S., but I definitely felt really strong and really good." Darren ODay got two outs in the eighth and Jim Johnson worked a perfect ninth for his 36th save. Jonathan Villar stole home and Robbie Grossman had a career-high three hits for the Astros, who are 2-9 since the break. Bud Norris was scratched as Houstons starting pitcher amid rumours he would be dealt before the non-waiver trade deadline of Wednesday at 4 p.m. "You have a guy that has attracted a lot of interest from other ballclubs," manager Bo Porter said before the game. "It just made more sense to not risk injury at this juncture of the conversation." Making his first start since July 5, Harrell gave up only two hits but issued fiive walks -- three of which turned into runs.dddddddddddd. In his defence, he found out he was starting early in the afternoon. "I felt like I made a lot of really close misses, pitching in and out to guys," he said. "Its just one of those things where even when guys are on base youve got to keep attacking. I nibbled a little bit, I didnt want to give up the runs. (But) you cant be walking guys like that. Any time a guy like me walks guys, because I dont strike out a lot, its going to be a long night." Chen retired the first seven batters he faced before running into trouble in the third. Three straight singles loaded the bases for Jose Altuve, who bounced a two-run single to left. With the bases full and two outs, Chen went to the stretch with his back toward Villar, who danced halfway down the baseline before breaking for home. He made it easily for a 3-0 lead. "For me it was easy," Villar said. "Because sometimes when the pitcher doesnt look at me, thats easy for me." Chen said, "That was embarrassing and thats a lesson I need to learn. I looked down and I had no clue he was going to home." Baltimore got two runs back in the fourth. After Harrell walked the bases loaded, Hardy got the Orioles first hit, a single up the middle. After Nick Markakis drew a leadoff walk in the sixth, Davis hit an opposite-field drive to left. "I got the ball down, and he hit the ball out," Harrell said. "It was just one of those things where I made a good pitch, and tip your hat to him. He is what he is because of who he is. He hits the ball like that a lot." NOTES: The game marked the return of Astros 3B coach Dave Trembley to Baltimore. Trembley managed the Orioles from June 2007 to June 2010. ... Houston is 0-7 in Baltimore after being swept in 2005 and 2008. ... The Astros recalled RHP Chia-Jen Lo from Double A Corpus Christi and purchased the contract of RHP Josh Zeid from Triple-A Oklahoma City. RHP Hector Ambriz was optioned to OKC. Zeid made his major league debut in the eighth inning and got two outs. ... Former Oriole Erik Bedard is scheduled to take the mound for the Astros on Wednesday night. Miguel Gonzalez, whos 5-0 at home, will start for Baltimore. ... Chen is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his four starts since returning from the disabled list on July 10. ' ' '