College Football Playoff 2015: Predicting Final Four After Week 11 Rankings

The second edition of the 2015 College Football Playoff rankings dropped during Tuesday evening's ESPN telecast, with the Clemson Tigers remaining at No. 1 in the country.

Clemson defeated ACC rival Florida State 23-13 to merit holding steady atop the college football hierarchy.

After Alabama was a slight surprise to the Top Four in the first rankings release, the Crimson Tide backed it up this past Saturday by defeating SEC rival LSU 30-16. They limited LSU Heisman Trophy contender Leonard Fournette to 31 yards on 19 carries and have gone from fourth to second in the Week 11 rankings.

Here is a full look at the new CFP Top 25:

For all the turbulence and surprises that have occurred in the SEC and throughout college football, the teams most expected to be left standing at season's end have held up well amid enormous expectations. Those powerhouse programs are Alabama and the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

While OSU went about its business and secured a 28-14 win over Minnesota, its chief Big Ten challenger, Michigan State, stumbled in an upset defeat at the hands of a losing Nebraska team.

The Spartans weren't the only notable team to take a slide in the rankings. A surprise Memphis team led by quarterback Paxton Lynch was defeated 45-20 at home by Navy, whose only loss this year is to Notre Dame.

In its first game with new QB Jarrett Stidham, Baylor barely escaped a road trip to Kansas State 31-24, while Big 12 rival TCU fell to Oklahoma State 49-29.

Neither the Bears nor the Horned Frogs were in the Top Four last week at sixth and eighth, respectively. TCU gets Baylor at home to close its season, with the chance to foil the Bears' hopes, while Oklahoma State still has to host Baylor and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Big 12's best may all knock each other out of the CFP picture due to the way the standings are and how the committee perceives the conference, as ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit implied:

Let's take a look at the updated projections for the College Football Playoff based on what's transpired of late and where the best in the country currently stand.

Orange Bowl Projection: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish have only lost to Clemson, and after what happened this past weekend, their win over Navy looks a lot better. They face Stanford in a regular-season finale that should send the winner into the Top Four.

A road trip to take on the Cardinal won't be an easy task, but coach Brian Kelly's bunch will rise to the challenge. Its front seven led by Jaylon Smith will make just enough plays to stop Stanford star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Most impressive about Notre Dame's run to 8-1 is its lack of panic over Malik Zaire's injury that thrust DeShone Kizer into action at QB. Kizer has responded well, to say the least, throwing for five touchdowns in a 42-30 road win over Pittsburgh most recently. ESPN's Matt Fortuna provided context for Kizer's performance:

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

In similar fashion, no matter what adversity the Buckeyes face, they seem equipped to overcome it. Last year's team didn't peak until the end of the season, which is what Ohio State appears to be counting on in 2015.

Buckeyes signal-caller J.T. Barrett was suspended for the Minnesota game, but Cardale Jones kept his undefeated record as a starter under center intact. Now it's up to Barrett to stay on the field and deliver the championship goods this time around.

Sloppy football hasn't cost Ohio State a game yet. It's as though the loaded team has been sleepwalking through games while still taking opponents' best shots and coming away with victories. The final stretch is what matters most, and head coach Urban Meyer will have his team ready for it.

After prospective wins at Michigan State, home against archrival Michigan and in the Big Ten title game, the momentum the Buckeyes will have generated is going to be too much for Notre Dame to stop. OSU's late boost in strength of schedule will also allow the team to ascend to No. 1.

Although the Irish may luck out and escape Stanford with a "W," their 70th-ranked rush defense won't be able to stop both Barrett and Ohio State stud ball-carrier Ezekiel Elliott.

Projected Score: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23

Cotton Bowl Projection: Alabama vs. Clemson

Saturday's win was a big statement from the Crimson Tide: They are still the class of the SEC, even with a home loss to Ole Miss on their resume.

Florida State was Clemson's most difficult remaining game of the regular season, and the hurdle has been cleared. The Tigers still have a conference championship game to play but should have little trouble therein against North Carolina or whomever the ACC Coastal Division champion is.

Although this seems like a relative mismatch on paper, bear in mind Clemson QB Deshaun Watson lit up the scoreboard against stout defenses in Boston College and N.C. State. Watson also played well versus the Seminoles, accounting for over 400 total yards of offense.

Playing against Alabama's front seven may be a different story, though, based on the following analysis from TideSports.com's Aaron Suttles:

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Interesting to note is ESPN analyst Joey Galloway's take in discussing this possible showdown prior to Tuesday's rankings release. Galloway believed Clemson was complete enough to take down the Tide, per his colleague Paul Finebaum:

Despite losing first-round NFL draft picks Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony from last year's front seven, defense has been a rather surprising strength for the Tigers in 2015. They're yielding just 4.53 yards per play and did well to shut down FSU after Dalvin Cook's 75-yard TD run inside the first minute.

Clemson's inability to contain a back like Cook doesn't bode well for facing a beefy Alabama offensive line and a bruising back in Derrick Henry, though.

Henry just gashed LSU for 210 yards and three scores. The Tide have a speedy changeup back to turn to behind Henry in Kenyan Drake as well. That one-two punch and Alabama's stonewalling of Fournette don't bode well for Watson, who'd likely be forced into obvious passing situations in a prospective Cotton Bowl matchup.

Projected Score: Alabama 21, Clemson 14

Note: Stats courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise indicated.