College Football Playoff 2014: Final Four Predictions After 4th Top 25 Rankings

There was sure to be a shakeup in the rankings with Mississippi State falling to Alabama. Following the upset, the biggest questions were where both programs would land and how the rest of the top four would look.

With the fourth poll being released, Alabama takes the top spot for the first time following the victory. Behind the Tide sit Oregon, Florida State and Mississippi State with TCU being knocked out of the playoff picture.

All four teams have easy opponents this weekend, so there isn't likely to be much change at the top. However, the rest of the season leaves plenty of room for change at the top prior to the College Football Playoff.   

Below is a look at the latest CFP committee rankings and predictions for the playoff bracket.

Bowl	Date	Matchup	Prediction
Sugar	Jan. 1, 2015	Semifinal	No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama
Rose	Jan. 1, 2015	Semifinal	No. 3 Mississippi State vs. No. 2 Oregon

Analysis

Don't look now, but Alabama might finally be the program most believed it would be prior to the season.

The Crimson Tide are firing on all cylinders behind a high-powered offense. Blake Sims has been playing great under center but has been helped quite a bit by the athleticism of Amari Cooper.

Thanks to his outstanding play this season, Cooper has earned a fair share of Heisman attention. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and Bryan Fischer of NFL.com provide their take on the dynamic receiver:

Cooper has averaged 130.3 yards and 1.1 touchdowns per game this season. He's also hauled in 47.5 percent of the receiving yards and has nearly three times as many receptions as DeAndrew White. If the Tide reach the playoff, it will be on the shoulders of Sims and Cooper.

Twenty-six games. That's how long the winning streak for Florida State has lasted despite some of the tightest matchups all season.

The Seminoles once again survived another game where they trailed by a large margin against Miami and responded with a massive comeback. However, doubt never creeps into the minds of FSU players, as defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. told Jared Shanker of ESPN.com.

"Not for one second did we think because they jumped out that we were going to lose," Edwards Jr. said. "If we calm down and play the way we're supposed to play we knew that we would come back and win the game."

Jameis Winston continued an up-and-down season with another strong second half, proving again that this program has confidence to accomplish nearly anything. ESPN Stats & Info points out just how different the two halves have been for Winston:

But will that hold up against Florida and a Coastal team in the ACC Championship? That's the question leading up to the CFP for voters. If it does, the 'Noles will be a no-brainer for the playoff and competing for a second straight title.

While FSU is leaving some doubt about its future, Oregon had a bye to regroup ahead of playing Colorado. Meanwhile, the No. 4 spot has become a hot commodity between several deserving teams.

The USA Today panel projects Mississippi State as the No. 4 team currently for the playoff, but it was an arduous task getting to that point. Background on the selection was provided by Daniel Uthman of USA Today:

"

The difference between No. 4 and 5 in this week's committee voting was smaller than it has been all season. In fact, Mississippi State and TCU tied at 28 voting points. The Bulldogs earned the No. 4 seed by being ranked higher than TCU on eight of the 13 individual panelists' ballots. [...]

Perhaps it is because the Bulldogs were joining the ranks of one-loss teams, or maybe it's because the Bulldogs' first loss came at Alabama.

"

Another loss for Mississippi State would change the entire landscape again, but it is certainly deserving of a top-four slot. The Ducks may change some voters' minds if they win the Pac-12, but a win in the Egg Bowl should be enough to solidify a spot for the Bulldogs.

Needless to say, nothing is set at this point for any of the programs listed above. As the weeks continue to wind down in the college football season, all eyes will continue to remain focused on the playoff bracket.

After all, there's no prize for finishing fifth this season, regardless of how many teams might deserve it.

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.