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While it all might be clear-cut to everyone else, and the top four might seem relatively obvious, the College Football Playoff committee still fights it out each and every week putting together the top 25. According to committee chair Jeff Long, this week had some of the most intense debates yet.

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The Big Debates

Everything stayed the same in the top five, but each and every spot could’ve gone in a different direction.

Clemson has been the unwavering No. 1 team from the start of the process, but it looked really, really shaky in the win over a miserable South Carolina team. Meanwhile. No. 2 Alabama went on the road to deal with Auburn in the rivalry of rivalry games and fought through to a decisive win. Even though the Crimson Tide have looked better than the Tigers over the last few weeks, nothing has changed at the very top.

No. 3 Oklahoma absolutely destroyed Oklahoma State in its big rivalry game. The loss to Texas earlier on has meant a hard ceiling on just how high the Sooners can go – at least in terms of the resume. However, an argument could be made that there’s no hotter team in the country right now – even if it took a fight to survive a rally by TCU a few weeks ago.

But, apparently, the big debate was over the No. 4 spot. Iowa sputtered a wee bit in a win over a Nebraska team that couldn’t wait to give the ball away, while Michigan State obliterated a strong Penn State looking to pull off the big upset. Throw in the win two weeks ago over an Ohio State squad that flattened Michigan, and the Spartans are suddenly looking like the stronger team than the unbeaten Hawkeyes. It doesn’t really matter – the winner of the Big Ten title game will get into the playoff – but in the end, Michigan State lost at Nebraska. Iowa didn’t.

College Football Playoff Rankings

Top 25 Rankings | Week 5 Analysis & Breakdown  
What if North Carolina beats Clemson? | What if Florida beats Alabama?