NCAA Football Rankings 2018: Week 15 Predictions Based on Latest Results

Alabama is the No. 1 team in the nation, and the Crimson Tide earned that position by blowing out opponents on a weekly basis.

That scenario held up until Saturday's SEC Championship Game, when the Crimson Tide was pushed to the limit by the Georgia Bulldogs.

The situation was fairly grim for Alabama in the second half, as they trailed 28-14 and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was struggling after suffering a right foot injury.

Head coach Nick Saban inserted backup Jalen Hurts in place of Tagovailoa after the score had reached 28-21, and that turned out to be the key move in the game.

Hurts, who was replaced by Tagovailoa in last year's CFP National Championship victory over Georgia, demonstrated that he was capable in a huge spot.

Hurts threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy to tie the score and ran 15 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:11 remaining.

The Bulldogs could not respond, and the Crimson Tide came away with a 35-28 triumph.

As a result of that win, Alabama (13-0) will hold on to its No. 1 ranking. The unbeaten Clemson Tigers (13-0) kept their record unblemished with a 42-10 victory over Pittsburgh in the ACC title game. Notre Dame (12-0), also unbeaten, completed its perfect regular season with a victory over USC on Nov. 24.

There should be no doubt that the Crimson Tide, Tigers and Fighting Irish hold the top three spots in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The No. 4 spot is the only position that is in question. Four teams appear to have a chance to gain that last spot.

Georgia (11-2) played Alabama better than any other opponent, and quarterback Jake Fromm was brilliant in defeat. He completed 25 of 39 passes for 301 yards with three TDs. The Bulldogs clearly belonged on the same field with the Crimson Tide and looked like the better team for at least three quarters. However, they let the game slip away, and that's troubling.

Oklahoma (12-1) avenged its only defeat of the season with a 39-27 victory over Texas. The Sooners were pushed hard by the Longhorns, but star quarterback Kyler Murray made the big plays for Oklahoma and threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns. The Sooners struggle on defense, but they may be the best offensive team in the nation.

Isaac Nauta Breaks Big Catch-and-Run

Ohio State (12-1) has struggled in many games this season, and that includes the Big Ten title game against Northwestern on Saturday. The Buckeyes built a 24-7 halftime lead, but they gave up two third-quarter touchdowns and allowed the Wildcats to get to within three points. Ohio State responded to the challenge and picked up the 45-24 victory.

Dwayne Haskins Reel + Pose

Undefeated UCF (12-0) is also deserving of strong consideration. The Knights lost quarterback McKenzie Milton to a severe leg injury in Week 12, and they trailed Memphis by 17 points in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

However, instead of succumbing to the loss of their star quarterback and the deficit, UCF came all the way back and earned a 56-41 victory. Backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. stepped in for Milton and threw for 348 yards, two touchdowns and did not throw an interception.

One of those four teams will get in, and UCF can check off the boxes of undefeated and overcoming adversity. This is the second straight year the Knights are unbeaten, but they were not given the opportunity to compete in the playoffs last year.

The CFP committee is not going to officially consider last year's situation, but it may linger beneath the surface. Throw in the comeback victory in the conference title game with a backup quarterback, and UCF's argument is strong.

Based on their performance against the Crimson Tide, the Georgia Bulldogs may be the best of the four teams, but they have two losses on their resume.

Oklahoma may have avenged its only loss by beating Texans on Saturday, but the Sooners' defense is an undeniable weak spot. Head coach Lincoln Riley knows that the decision is out of his team's hands. "There's no doubt we have a playoff-worthy team, but I understand that there's other factors there too that we can't control," Riley said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

Ohio State has been on the precipice of defeat a number of times this year, but Urban Meyer's team has come through every time, with the exception of their 49-20 defeat at the hands of Purdue. The margin of that defeat to a 6-6 team is difficult to understand.

The prediction here is that the committee will go with Oklahoma in the No. 4 position. The idea of Alabama and Tagovailoa (if healthy) meeting Oklahoma and Murray is too enticing to pass up.

Here's how we see the CFP committee ranking its Top 25 Sunday.

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Oklahoma

5. UCF
6. Georgia
7. Ohio State
8. Washington
9. Michigan
10. Florida

11. LSU
12. Penn State
13. Washington State
14. Texas
15. Kentucky
16. West Virginia
17. Utah
18. Mississippi State
19. Texas A&M
20. Syracuse
21. Northwestern
22. Iowa State
23. Missouri
24. Fresno State
25. Boise State

The final rankings and all bowl pairings, including the College Football Playoff semifinals, will be announced Sunday. Those announcements will be made on ESPN at noon ET and can also be viewed be viewed on FuboTV.