CFP rankings: Top 4 teams unchanged from the previous week

The third week of the College Football Playoff rankings looks a lot like the second week. At least at the top.

The top four teams were unchanged in the latest edition of the rankings. Clemson stayed at No. 1, Alabama at No. 2, Ohio State at No. 3 and Notre Dame at No. 4. The first two teams out of the four-team playoff field were Iowa at No. 5 and Oklahoma State at No. 6. The Cowboys replaced Baylor in the top six.

Alabama and Notre Dame each have a loss. Clemson, Ohio State, Iowa and Oklahoma State are undefeated. It’s clear the committee currently values the way Alabama is playing after losing to Ole Miss at home and the closeness of Notre Dame’s loss at Clemson.

Oklahoma, which beat Baylor last Saturday, is at No. 7. Outside of possibly Iowa, Oklahoma is in the best position of any team with a loss currently outside the top four to move in. The Sooners play TCU in Week 12 and also still have to play Oklahoma State. However, TCU fell three spots in the rankings to No. 18 after narrowly beating Kansas without the services of QB Trevone Boykin for much of the game.

The remaining members of the top 10 (in order) were Florida, Michigan State and Baylor. Michigan State plays Ohio State on Saturday. The team outside the top 10 with the biggest impact could be Stanford. The Cardinal fell from No. 7 after losing to Oregon in Week 11 but are high enough to give Notre Dame a perhaps-needed boost at the end of the season. The Fighting Irish and the Cardinal play each other on November 28. If Notre Dame wins, the game could solidify the Irish’s status inside the top four.

North Carolina, which has looked incredibly impressive as of late, jumped from No. 23 to No. 17. You can argue that the Tar Heels should be ranked higher at 9-1, but UNC’s schedule strength isn’t the best. The Tar Heels have played two FCS teams in 2015 and lost to South Carolina to open the season.

The highest non-power five team was Navy. The Midshipmen are at No. 16.