Alabama leaps to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings

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November 18, 2014

After Alabama toppled then-No. 1 Mississippi State over the weekend, multiple scenarios were possible for this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. What we knew for sure was that the Tide — who had been sitting at No. 5 for the last couple of weeks — would move into one of the top four slots.

But as it turns out, Alabama not only moved up, they leaped over all four teams who were ahead of them last week to claim the top spot in the rankings. The one-loss Bulldogs only dropped to fourth, Florida State stayed in third and Oregon held steady at No. 2.

Playoff Selection Committee Chair Jeff Long said the committee felt Alabama’s decisive win over Miss. State made them the best team in the country.

“We feel like Alabama is the most complete team right now: offense, defense and kicking game,” Long said.

I assume when Long praised Alabama's kicking game he was referring to their punter. At least I hope.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 19, 2014

Florida State had to come back to beat Miami in what is now the Seminoles’ normal operating style: Let the other team score a few times, look average, and then storm back to win. A lack of style points hurt FSU in weeks past, but they didn’t budge tonight. Meanwhile, TCU did the same thing in its trip to Kansas and were demoted to the fifth slot. But the Committee once again favored the Horned Frogs and their strength of schedule over Baylor, who beat them head-to-head earlier in the year.

The full rankings are below.

Here are this week’s playoff rankings:

1. Alabama

2. Oregon

3. Florida State

4. Mississippi State

5. TCU

6. Ohio State

7. Baylor

8. Ole Miss

9. UCLA

10. Georgia