College Football Playoff Rankings: Alabama rises to #1 and Ohio State inches closer

The evil empire is back on top. The Crimson Tide were awarded the #1 ranking this week by the playoff committee for their emphatic win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. State, meanwhile, drops to #4, so they still have a great chance at making the inaugural postseason four-team tournament if they win out. That would mean a matchup between Bama and Mississippi State. #2 Oregon and #3 Florida State held serve after the Ducks had a bye and FSU squeaked by a mediocre Miami Hurricanes team.

Just outside the top four are the #5 TCU Horned Frogs, who fall out of the final four from last week's rankings. The Big 12 could potentially have a very awkward situation if both TCU and the #7 Baylor Bears win out. TCU is currently ranked ahead of Baylor, but if both finish the season with one win, the official conference champion would be Baylor due to the head-to-head matchup.

Of course, both TCU and Baylor could be left out because...SURPRISE!!! The #6 Ohio State Buckeyes are very close to crashing the playoff party after the national audience left the B1G for dead once the #11 Michigan State Spartans lost on the road to Oregon. The Buckeyes will likely be 20-point favorites in their remaining games (Indiana and Michigan both at home), so a trip to the B1G Championship Game is all but decided. A win over a hot #16 Melvin Gordon Wisconsin Badgers team could propel OSU over the Big 12, which doesn't hold a championship game.

In the Pac-12, the last remaining hope is Oregon, although the #9 UCLA Bruins have the slightest of chances of making it in. They'll have to win out and beat a one-loss Ducks team in the Pac-12 championship to have any hope at all.

For reference, here is this week's AP, USA Today Coaches', and Massey composite polls to compare the playoff committee's rankings:

For a composite Top 25, visit SBNation.com