The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee released its penultimate rankings with no change to its Top Five.
The new rankings kept Clemson (1), Alabama (2), Oklahoma (3), Iowa (4), and Michigan State (5) where they were, with the likes of Ohio State (6), Stanford (7), and North Carolina (10) knocking on the door.
ACC
Clemson has been ranked atop the CFP poll all along, and they figure to keep that spot if they beat North Carolina in the ACC Championship game on Saturday. North Carolina, a team not even ranked in the CFP's first offering, may have an outside shot at reaching the Top Four, but beating Clemson would certainly help.
Big Ten
Iowa and Michigan State are playing in the most important conference title game in the nation in regards to the CFP. The winner may well get the third or fourth seed in the semifinals, or the game could give the committee reason enough to pass on both teams in favor of Ohio State.
Their road win over Michigan (15) was enough to help them regain some ground in the Top 10, but it is still hard to imagine them surpassing the conference champion, let alone the runner up.
Big 12
Oklahoma is the undisputed Big 12 champ and has now spent multiple weeks in the CFP's Top Four. With the Sooners inactive this weekend, the CFP committee will need a really compelling reason to drop them from the Top Four, which is unlikely.
Pac-12
No team with two losses has the opportunity Stanford does. Not only do they have some of the best wins in the nation this season, but even their losses to Northwestern and Oregon are looking good at this point. Coming off a win over Notre Dame, Stanford would make a strong case for the CFP with a conference title victory over a revitalized USC team.
SEC
Like Clemson, Alabama's spot in the CFP secured with a conference title win. But a loss would throw a major wrench in the equation. Florida's (18) loss to Florida State (9) puts them in a terrible position, even if they do somehow beat Alabama this weekend.
