Winning is everything. But winning is fleeting before critics start asking if you can do it again.

The birth of college football’s playoff system has created a new fraternity of programs that can boast inclusion in the highly exclusive club. Among those members are Alabama and Clemson, as well as Michigan State and Oklahoma, each of which are preparing a return trip to the College Football Playoff.

But what are their odds of doing so?

If we take the top four Associated Press Top 25 teams from the final week of each regular season during the BCS era, we can get a good (not perfect) view of which teams would have qualified for the sport’s fledgling playoff system during their respective years. The result is 13 schools would have qualified for the playoffs during the BCS era, with many making consecutive appearances.

In fact, what we find is that since 1998, we would have had a team either on the front or back end of consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff in every single season. In fact, we see several schools, such as Florida State, Miami, and Southern California, that would qualify for three consecutive playoffs.

Alabama, however, takes them all and would have earned a spot in the last five postseasons, had it existed prior to 2014.

That means the odds are potentially in favor of at least one of this year’s squads returning for a shot at a title next season.

Here is a look at this year’s College Football Playoff teams and their odds are returning to the postseason bowl tournament.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Key Returners – DE Jonathan Allen, DT Cam Robinson, WR Calvin Ridley

Key Losses – RB Derrick Henry, QB Jake Coker, LB Reggie Ragland

Conference Teams Standing in Way – Ole Miss, LSU

Bovada 2016 CFP Odds – 6/1

Odds to Return to CFP – 75%

Alabama is a rare champion that tends to see many of its players return, i.e. Jonathan Allen and Reggie Ragland, for their senior years. The translation is a 2016 defense that should be equal-parts as strong as the unit that led the Tide to a national title in the second installment of the College Football Playoff. Dinging their chances is an Alabama offense that will replace stars in Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Jake Coker. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide simply know how to win and — even if they don’t win it all in 2016 — it would shock no one should they, at minimum, returned to the postseason for a third time in as many years.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Key Returners – QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman

Key Losses – DE Shaw Lawson, WR Charone Peake

Conference Teams Standing in Way – Florida State, North Carolina

Bovada 2016 CFP Odds – 7/1

Odds to Return to CFP – 70%

Dabo Swinney’s program is no flash in the pan, reaching the title game this year for the first time since 1981. The Tigers have won 10 games in each of the last five seasons and return the Heisman runner-up in quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Tigers — and Watson who threw for 4 touchdowns in the championship game — will be as experienced as they are talented and should benefit from the ACC schedule, if they survive a trip to Tallahassee to face the Seminoles.

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

Key Returners – NT Malik McDowell, S Montae Nicholson

Key Losses – QB Connor Cook, WR Aaron Burbridge, DE Shilique Calhoun

Conference Teams Standing in Way – Ohio State, Michigan

Bovada 2016 CFP Odds – 20/1

Odds to Return to CFP – 25 percent

Michigan State might stand the toughest test in returning to the College Football Playoff. Sparty will be without quarterback Connor Cook and seven other offensive starters when the 2016 campaign kick-off. That’s not to say that Mark Dantonio’s program won’t compete next year, they just face the toughest road to get there as Ohio State and Michigan are reloading with what are considered by many to have the Nos. 2 and 3 recruiting class in the nation.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Key Returners – QB Baker Mayfield, RB Samaje Perine, RB Joe Mixon

Key Losses – WR Sterling Shepard, LB Erik Striker, Ty Darlington

Conference Teams Standing in Way – Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU

Bovada 2016 CFP Odds – 7/1

Odds to Return to CFP – 40 percent

Oklahoma has a chance as long as quarterback and early Heisman hopeful Baker Mayfield is under center for the Sooners. Fortunately for Bob Stoops’ program, Oklahoma is much deeper than just one player. The Sooners will take a hit on defense with the loss of several big names, including linebacker/defensive end Erik Striker. Oklahoma can help its cause tremendously — or see it badly damaged — early on in the season by traveling to Houston in Week 1, followed by a home contest against Ohio State two weeks later.