Top 4 remain unchanged, Florida drops one spot after loss to LSU
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For the first time in history, the College Football Playoff rankings have remained unchanged through the first four releases. The penultimate release once again featured No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Clemson, and No. 4 Ohio State.
The final rankings for the 2020 season will come out Sunday following this weekend’s conference championship games.
Just outside the top four are No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 6 Iowa State, and No. 7 Florida after their loss this past weekend to LSU. The Gators slipped a single spot from last week when they were ranked No. 6, giving credence to the belief that Clemson could very well be in the playoff even if they have two losses.
As for the 5-0 Buckeyes, Kirk Herbstreit said that Ohio State is positioned to be in even with far few games under their belt.
“If Ohio State was going to drop down because of the number of games, it would have been last week or this week. The reality is what it is with Ohio State. With everything that’s gone on, the fact that they are sitting there at 5-0-- they are able to play this weekend,” Herbstreit noted. “If they were to win that game and are crowned Big Ten champion-- they are 60 minutes away, whether you agree with it, they are 60 minutes away from being in the College Football Playoff.”
Clemson has now been ranked in the Top 4 all but once since the first week of rankings back in 2015. The only week they were left out was Week 1 last season. The Tigers have also been ranked in the Top 4 in 33 of the last 34 CFP Playoff releases.
Clemson’s 33 rankings in the Playoff Poll are tops all-time, making them the most prolific program in the CFB Playoff Era's history with five consecutive trips to the playoff under their belt, along with winning two national titles in that time.
Alabama is second with 32 weeks ranked in the CFB Playoff poll, dating back to 2014. However, the Crimson Tide has been ranked No. 1 in the CFB Playoff rankings more than every other college football team combined with 22 weeks at the top.
The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, and Rose Bowl Game.
This season's Playoff Semifinals will take place Friday, January 1, 2021, at the Rose Bowl Game and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
| CFB Playoff Era | National Titles | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | Total Weeks Ranked |
| Clemson |
🏆🏆 |
8 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 33 |
| Alabama |
🏆🏆 |
22 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 32 |
| Ohio State |
🏆 |
3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
| Notre Dame |
|
0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 |
| Oklahoma |
|
0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| LSU | 🏆 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Michigan |
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Florida State |
|
0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Georgia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | |
| Oregon | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| Mississippi State | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| Auburn | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| Washington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| TCU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Miami | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ole Miss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ALL-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF APPEARANCES | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Total Appearances |
Overall Wins |
Overall Losses |
Pct. | Playoff Semifinals |
National Championship Game |
| Alabama | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0.666 | 4-1 | 2-2 |
| Clemson | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0.666 | 4-1 | 2-2 |
| Ohio State | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 | 1-2 | 1-0 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0-4 | 0-0 |
| LSU | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Oregon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1-0 | 0-1 |
| Georgia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1-0 | 0-1 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| Florida State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| Washington | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
2020
|
Week 1 |
#1 Alabama | #2 Notre Dame | #3 Clemson | #4 Ohio State |
| Week 2 | #1 Alabama | #2 Notre Dame | #3 Clemson | #4 Ohio State |
| Week 3 | #1 Alabama | #2 Notre Dame | #3 Clemson | #4 Ohio State |
| Week 4 | #1 Alabam | #2 Notre Dame | #3 Clemson | #4 Ohio State |
| Playoff | ||||
| Semifinals | ||||
| Championship | ||||
| 🏆 | ||||
2019
|
Week 1 |
#1 Ohio State |
#2 LSU | #3 Alabama |
#4 Penn State |
| Week 2 | #1 LSU | #2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 3 | #1 LSU | #2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 4 | #1 Ohio State | #2 LSU | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
| Week 5 | #1 Ohio State | #2 LSU | #3 Clemson | #4 Georgia |
|
Playoff |
#1 LSU |
#2 Ohio State |
#3 Clemson |
No. 4 Oklahoma |
| Semifinals | No. 1 LSU 63, No. 4 Oklahoma 28 |
No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23 |
||
| Championship | No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 |
|||
| 🏆 | LSU Tigers (15-0) | |||
2018
|
Week 1 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 LSU |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 2 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Michigan |
| Week 5 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Georgia |
|
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson |
#3 Notre Dame |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Semifinals | No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34 |
No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3 |
||
| Championship | No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 |
|||
| 🏆 | Clemson Tigers (15-0) | |||
2017
|
Week 1 |
#1 Georgia |
#2 Alabama | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 2 |
#1 Georgia |
#2 Alabama | #3 Notre Dame |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Miami |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Miami | #3 Clemson |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Week 5 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Auburn | #3 Oklahoma |
#4 Wisconsin |
|
Playoff |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Oklahoma |
#3 Georgia |
#4 Alabama |
| Semifinals | No. 4 Alabama 24, No. 1 Clemson 6 |
No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma 48 (2OT) |
||
| Championship | No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (OT) |
|||
| 🏆 | Alabama Crimson Tide (13-1) | |||
2016
|
Week 1 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Michigan |
#4 Texas A&M |
| Week 2 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson | #3 Michigan |
#4 Washington |
| Week 3 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Michigan |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 4 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Michigan |
#4 Clemson |
| Week 5 |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Ohio State | #3 Clemson |
#4 Washington |
|
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Clemson |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Washington |
| Semifinals | No. 1 Alabama 24, No. 4 Washington 7 |
No. 2 Clemson 31, No. 3 Ohio State 0 |
||
| Championship | No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 |
|||
| 🏆 | Clemson Tigers (14-1) | |||
2015
|
Week 1 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 LSU |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Alabama |
| Week 2 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 3 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Ohio State |
#4 Notre Dame |
| Week 4 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Oklahoma |
#4 Iowa |
| Week 5 |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Oklahoma |
#4 Iowa |
|
Playoff |
#1 Clemson |
#2 Alabama |
#3 Michigan State |
#4 Oklahoma |
| Semifinals | No. 1 Clemson 37 No. 4 Oklahoma 17 |
No. 2 Alabama 38, No. 3 Michigan State 0 |
||
| Championship | No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 |
|||
| 🏆 | Alabama Crimson Tide (14-1) | |||
2014
|
Week 1 |
#1 Mississippi State | #2 Florida State | #3 Auburn |
#4 Ole Miss |
| Week 2 | #1 Mississippi State | #2 Florida State | #3 Auburn |
#4 Oregon |
| Week 3 | #1 Mississippi State | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 TCU |
| Week 4 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 Mississippi State |
| Week 5 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 Florida State |
#4 Mississippi State |
| Week 6 | #1 Alabama | #2 Oregon | #3 TCU |
#4 Florida State |
|
Playoff |
#1 Alabama |
#2 Oregon |
#3 Florida State |
#4 Ohio State |
| Semifinals | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 1 Alabama 35 |
No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 Florida State 20 |
||
| Championship | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 |
|||
| 🏆 | Ohio State Buckeyes (14-1) | |||
If the College Football Playoff started today
#1 Alabama (10-0) vs. #4 Ohio State (5-0)
#2 Notre Dame (10-0) vs #3 Clemson (9-1)
Outside looking in:
No. 5 - Texas A&M (7-1)
No. 6 - Iowa State (8-2)
No. 7 - Florida (8-2)
No. 8 - Georgia (6-2)
No. 9 - Cincinnati (8-0)
No. 10 - Oklahoma (7-2)
No. 11 - Indiana (6-1)
No. 12 - Coastal Carolina (11-0)
No. 13 - USC (5-0)
No. 14 - Northwestern (6-1)
No. 15 - North Carolina (8-3)
No. 16 - Iowa (6-2)
No. 17 - BYU (10-1)
No. 18 - Miami (8-2)
No. 19 - Louisiana (9-1)
No. 20 - Texas (6-3)
No. 21 - Oklahoma State (7-3)
No. 22 - NC State (8-3)
No. 23 - Tulsa (6-1)
No. 24 - San Jose State (6-0)
No. 25 - Colorado (4-1)