College Football Rankings 2015: Full Playoff Standings and Week 11 Outlook
A shake-up in the College Football Playoff rankings was guaranteed heading into Week 11 with two of the Top Four facing off last weekend, but the CFP committee still gave folks plenty to chew on heading down the stretch in November.
Three of the four teams remain the same in the second installment of the CFP rankings, but there was still plenty of movement to dissect as a few teams leapfrogged others in the standings. Take a look below, and then keep reading for a close look into each of the four teams atop the rankings.
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No. 1 Clemson
The top-ranked Clemson Tigers overcame what looked to be their last true tough test of the season Saturday against Florida State, and they appear ready to cruise their way down the November stretch.
As the lone unbeaten team among the Top Four, there's not a whole lot folks can argue against when it comes to placing Clemson at the top of the list. After all, their strength of schedule is by far the best out of the remaining undefeated schools, ESPN Stats & Info noted:
The Tigers' remaining regular-season schedule is as simple as it comes, with three games left against Syracuse, Wake Forest and South Carolina—teams combining for a 9-18 record to this point. Unless Clemson finds a way to slip up in the ACC title game, expect it to assume the top spot heading into the national semifinal.
No. 2 Alabama
There was plenty of disagreement and debate regarding Alabama's inclusion in the initial CFP rankings. After its convincing win over previous No. 2 squad LSU, there's no such argument this time around.
That's showcased in the Crimson Tide skyrocketing from the No. 4 spot all the way to second in the CFP standings, after running back Derrick Henry rushed 38 times for more than 200 yards in Alabama's win over LSU. They slipped up at home earlier in the season to Ole Miss, but they appear leaps and bounds better than they showed in that five-turnover nightmare.
Firmly in the driver's seat of the SEC West, Alabama should punch its ticket into the CFP for the second straight year.
No. 3 Ohio State
Ohio State's toughest tests still remain ahead in its schedule, unlike most of the teams that join the Buckeyes in the Top Four.
Urban Meyer's squad has seen its status as the top-ranked team fall by the wayside, but they're likely not sweating it, as the Buckeyes are still firmly in the mix. They still have to face both Michigan State and Michigan down the stretch, games that will surely prove one way or another whether they belong in the field.
No. 4 Notre Dame
Much to the chagrin of unbeaten teams Iowa, Baylor and Oklahoma State, the CFP committee rewarded Notre Dame's tough schedule by giving the Fighting Irish the nod in cracking the Top Four.
When it comes down to it, the only blemish that Notre Dame has on its schedule is a close loss to the top-ranked Clemson Tigers. That speaks for itself, as Sports Illustrated's Zac Ellis noted:
There's still a chance that the Fighting Irish could be left out even if they don't lose a game down the stretch, but that will likely only come if one of the unbeatens below them rattles off a perfect ending to the season and does so in very impressive fashion.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame has enough to worry about with an end-of-season clash with Stanford looming.
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