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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Flores-Zambrano pleads guilty in drug-trafficking case ... Crews near 50 percent containment on Stouts fire ... Justice Court in Central Point breaks ground on new digs ... Flores-Zambrano pleads guilty in drug-trafficking case ... Crews near 50 percent containment on Stouts fire ... Justice Court in Central Point breaks ground on new digs ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Top four remain same in playoff rankings Comment By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press Posted Nov. 25, 2014 at 8:41 PM By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press Posted Nov. 25, 2014 at 8:41 PM » Social News Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Mississippi State remained the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday heading into a weekend when just about all the contenders are facing challenging rivals. TCU was fifth, Ohio State was sixth and Baylor seventh. The only team in the top eight to change was UCLA, which slipped into the eighth spot. For the first time, teams from the so-called Group of Five conferences made the top 25. Boise State moved in the rankings at No. 23 and unbeaten Marshall is 24th. The highest ranked team from outside the Big Five conferences is guaranteed one spot in the four New Year’s Bowls affiliated with the playoff but not hosting semifinals. Alabama hosts Auburn on Saturday; Florida State plays Florida; Oregon is at Oregon State and Mississippi State visits Mississippi. TCU plays at Texas on Thanksgiving night and Ohio State hosts Michigan on Saturday. Baylor plays Texas Tech at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, the site of the national championship game. Committee chairman Jeff Long said the difference between Nos. 4-7 is still very close. Long also caused a bit of a stir when on ESPN’s rankings show he mentioned how the rankings of teams at the time they played are factored into the committee’s decision. Long has said each week the 12-member committee starts with a clean slate and that one week’s rankings should have no bearing on the next. Long later clarified that remark, saying first that no rankings other than the committee’s — which started Oct. 28 — are taken into account. He added that a team’s previous ranking was something the committee was aware of and not a determining factor. “Beating a 6-5 team that was in the rankings is going to hold more water than beating a 3-8 or 4-7 team,” he said. Long said there has been debate among the committee members about Florida State and whether the Seminoles’ many close calls are a sign of weakness or strength. Unbeaten Florida State has rallied from a halftime deficit five times and had five one-score games. “There are others that think about the way they have won and think about that negatively,” Long said. “Others think coming from behind makes them a strong team.” By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press Posted Nov. 25, 2014 at 8:41 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501