College Football Playoff rankings: Stability at last

After two weeks of turmoil, the College Football Playoff rankings have finally stabilized.

The top four teams in the rankings have experienced a high turnover rate after stunning upsets that knocked some teams out of the playoff picture. This is the first week since the rankings have been released that all four teams announced at the beginning of the week remained in the top four slots at the end of the week.

There was some shift in the first two out after Louisville lost to unranked Houston this past week and other teams are making their final push to be in the postseason conversation. But after reaching the end of the regular season, it may be too little, too late.

Without further ado, here are the College Football Playoff rankings for Week 13.

No. 1: Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama could lose the next two games and still make it into the playoff. That’s how dominant they have been this season.

Even when they were down 3-0 after the first quarter against Chattanooga, Tide fans met the deficit with a shrug and got back to whatever activity they were doing to celebrate a victory they knew would come eventually. That’s the kind of confidence that not a lot of teams have at this point in the season.

And with the selection process subjectively picked by humans who take into account the eye-ball test, Alabama has practically cemented itself to play for a national championship pending horrific, but unlikely, blow-out losses in its next two games.

The Tide has a difficult matchup with the always-tough Auburn in the Iron Bowl this week. But if they lose, they are not going to fall out of the top four. They will even have the SEC Championship game to improve on their ranking if they drop.

No. 2: Ohio State Buckeyes

Let’s face it. Ohio State did just enough for them stay in the top four.

The Buckeyes barely won against a Michigan State team that needed to beat winless Rutgers to snap their seven-game losing streak. And Michigan State had its chances only down by seven heading into the fourth quarter before it realized it was Michigan State. Frankly, it is surprising that Ohio State didn’t fall a spot to No. 3.

Lady luck is on Ohio State’s side slightly as it gets to play the biggest game of the season at home against rival Michigan who might be without their starting quarterback. Still, the Buckeyes have their own issues to deal with as they head into the end of the season where they could be knocked out of the playoff picture with a loss to Michigan and the inability to improve their ranking if they can’t play in the Big 10 Championship as a result of that loss.

No. 3: Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines bounced back after a loss to Maryland by beating the Indiana Hoosiers, 20-10. All without starting quarterback Wilton Speight who injured his non-throwing shoulder against Iowa two weeks ago. Backup quarterback John O’Korn went 7 for 16 and 59 yards, but the offense leaned heavily on the running game to get them the win.

That strategy may not work when Michigan is on the road at the Horseshoe, where it faces Ohio State for the Big Ten East Division title and a chance to play for the Big Ten Championship. They have a better chance if Speight can play, but things don’t look too good if he can’t go.

Much like Ohio State, Michigian losing against the Buckeyes would be bad because a loss would knock them out of the Big Ten Championship, taking away the Wolverines ability to control their destiny.

No. 4: Clemson

After a short fall in last week’s rankings after a frustrating loss to Pittsburgh, Clemson was able to handily beat Wake Forest, 35-13. The Tigers own the tiebreaker against Louisville meaning they won the ACC Atlantic Division and allowed them hang on to the final spot in the College Football Playoff ranking.

Clemson remains in control of its own destiny in terms of the playoff, but face a tough challenge against a stingy South Carolina defense this week. A loss would certainly knock them out of the top four, but they could theoretically make up for it by winning big in the ACC Championship.

The rest of the pack:

5. Washington

6. Wisconsin

7. Penn State

8. Oklahoma

9. Colorado

10. Oklahoma State

11. Louisville

12. USC

13. Auburn

14. Florida State

15. Florida

16. Nebraska

17. Tennessee

18. West Virginia

19. Boise State

20. Houston

21. Western Michigan

22. Utah

23. Washington State

24. Stanford

25. Navy