College Football Playoff 2015: Rankings and Reaction from Week 12 Poll

With just two weeks remaining in college football's regular season, more and more pressure is building on the teams that are in position to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. 

On Tuesday, the CFP committee released its third rankings of the season with little change among the top five teams in the running. Here is a look at the current rankings:

The nation's No. 1 team has an easy-looking schedule to finish off the regular season. With games against a pair of 3-7 teams in Wake Forest and South Carolina, Clemson (10-0) should have no trouble running the table, it's what is waiting for them in the ACC Championship Game that may cause a problem. 

No. 17 North Carolina (9-1) is mounting a charge toward the playoff, and they are playing their best football of the season after convincing wins against Pitt, Duke and Miami (FL). But it might be too little too late, as playoff selection committee chairman Jeff Long told ESPN.com's Jared Shanker:

"

They do have two FCS wins and the committee is certainly aware, and then they had an opening-season loss to South Carolina, a team that is not having a very successful season. So certainly those things are weighing them down. But we see a team that's really emerging and playing very well.

"

A win in the conference championship game over Clemson, though unlikely, would make the committee's decision that much more difficult. 

No. 3 Ohio State might have the toughest road ahead of them in order to stay in a playoff spot. They host No. 9 Michigan State in Week 12, and then have to travel to Ann Arbor to take on No. 12 Michigan in the Big House. 

If the Buckeyes win out, they will most likely meet No. 5 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. Win those three games, and Ohio State is looking at being No. 1 come the final rankings. 

But staying at No. 3 for now isn't bothering Eleven Warriors:

Alabama remains at No. 2 and is in excellent position to add another national championship to their collection, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

While they might be the title favorites, the Crimson Tide, along with No. 4 Notre Dame, has one loss this season. Alabama is playing some great football at the moment, but 99.9 The Fan's Adam Gold has a problem with the accolades they are getting from the media:

Notre Dame could find itself in the same predicament that Baylor and TCU were in last season, as they didn't have a conference championship game. It was one of the reasons why both teams were held out of the inaugural playoffs, and the Palm Beach Post's Tom D'Angelo doesn't want fans to forget that:

Outside of the Top Four, though, there is a titanic matchup brewing in the state of Oklahoma if No. 6 Oklahoma State and the No. 7 Sooners win their Week 12 matchups. Oklahoma has No. 18 TCU, while Oklahoma State will play No. 10 Baylor. 

Wins from both teams will further boost their resumes, and come the last game of the season, they play each other in what could be the Bedlam rivalry game to end all Bedlam rivalry games. 

Among the release of the new polls though, Mustang News' Kyle Salomon is seeing rivals showing support, at least for one week:

Oklahoma is coming off of a 10-point win over Baylor, who was originally No. 6 in the Week 11 polls, and is garnering plenty of talk as to why it should be in the Top Four right now. Fox Sports' Joel Klatt raises this point on The Herd with Colin Cowherd:

Hopefully, for the sake of the playoff, all of these tough decisions will be made much easier on the field of play instead of inside the committee's war room. But with just three more polls left to be released, those on the outside have to make some big statements in the final weeks of the season to set themselves up for a postseason run. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.