College Football Playoff 2015: Final Four Predictions After 5th Top 25 Rankings

The selection committee released the latest installment of the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday without any changes in the Top Four from the prior week. The Clemson Tigers held on to the No. 1 spot followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners and Iowa Hawkeyes.

Now, with just one week to play and one final ranking left, it's becoming more clear which teams have a shot at the final four.

Let's take a look at the most recent Associated Press Top 25 Poll, projected final CFP rankings and how each team will achieve its projected ranking:

Final Projected Rank	Current Rank	Team	Record
1	1	Clemson Tigers	12-0
2	2	Alabama Crimson Tide	11-1
3	5	Michigan State Spartans	11-1
4	3	Oklahoma Sooners	11-1

No. 1 Clemson Tigers   

Clemson has been No. 1 since the first CFP rankings were released, and that's where it will be when the selection committee announces its final rankings.

The undefeated Tigers will move to 13-0 with a close victory over the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 5.

UNC has won 11 games in a row since a season-opening loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, but it hasn't played an offense on par with quarterback Deshaun Watson and Clemson.

This stat from Clemson SID Tim Bourret gives some insight on what the North Carolina defense will have to deal with Saturday:

Clemson had a scare in Week 13 with a five-point victory over the 3-9 Gamecocks, so the Tigers will be ready. That said, UNC is good enough to keep it close but not good enough to knock the Tigers from the top spot.

No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide have been criticized for receiving more love than other one-loss teams, but this late in the game it would be crazy to think a win in the SEC Championship Game would do anything but keep them right where they are.

Last season, the TCU Horned Frogs fell from No. 3 in the CFP to No. 6 after a 52-point win, but it was a regular-season game over the last-place team in the Big 12.

This is different.

A victory over the Florida Gators in the conference title game on Saturday will give Alabama a fourth win over a current Top 25 team, albeit none in the Top 15.

Fox Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd isn't impressed with the Crimson Tide's resume or the SEC in general:

He gave his thoughts on why he feels this way, mainly pointing to what he said is a down year for the conference:

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but how do you keep the champion of the SEC, who has just one loss to a ranked Ole Miss Rebels team, out of the playoff?

The answer is: You don't—especially when that team is ranked No. 2 heading into the final week of the season.

They might not be a popular pick, but the Crimson Tide will have a chance at the national title again.

No. 3 Michigan State Spartans

As of now, the Spartans are not in the Top Four. However, they have the luxury of playing the current No. 4 team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, this weekend. A win here will propel them over Iowa and into the CFP.

They would have the same record as the Hawkeyes, but a 1-0- head-to-head record and Big Ten title will trump Iowa's undefeated regular season.

Scott MacDonald of Ohio Sports Zone thinks the committee shouldn't have waited for the Spartans to knock off Iowa:

It's too late now, as the CFP committee has made its decision for this week. But in reality the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game is going to the playoff.

That team will be Michigan State.

The Spartans offense, which has gone for 30-plus points eight times, will be able to push around an Iowa defense allowing 25.5 points per game the last four outings. 

No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma will fall to fourth by virtue of doing nothing. There is no Big 12 Conference championship, so while it's not possible for them to trip up, the Sooners also don't have the chance Michigan State has to impress the committee one more time.

The Texas Longhorns, the only team to beat Oklahoma this season, could hurt the Sooners again if they beat the Baylor Bears this weekend. The 9-2 Bears are an impressive win on Oklahoma's resume, but a loss would take it down a notch.

As mentioned earlier, the committee has been known to drop teams even after a win, so look for the Spartans to skip over Oklahoma with an impressive win over Iowa.

However, the bye week won't be enough to drop the Sooners completely out. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said there is no way the committee should leave Oklahoma out of the playoff:

Oklahoma fans, the Sooners are in good shape; you can relax. Although after the TCU debacle last year, that's going to be easier said than done.