TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The College Football Playoff Committee was obviously impressed with the University of Alabama’s ability to beat its top-ranked team one week after winning at arguably the game’s toughest venue, placing the Crimson Tide at No. 1.

Florida State slipped again down to No. 3 despite being still undefeated after holding off Miami 30-26, behind No. 2 Oregon.

“Alabama has been right around that top four,” committee chairman Jeff Long said on the ESPN broadcast to reveal this week’s rankings Tuesday night. “With that, and what we considered a decisive win over No. 1 Mississippi State, we really think that combined with their body of work put them into the No. 1 position.

“We feel like Alabama, really, is the most complete team right now, offense, defense, the kicking game, and we put all those things together and we felt that Alabama was clearly No. 1 one now.”

That rankings were in contrast to this week’s major polls, which had, in order, Florida State, Alabama, Oregon.

The committee had Mississippi State fourth, over TCU, Ohio State and Baylor.

TCU has Texas and Iowa State left to play, MSU has Vanderbilt and No. 8 Ole Miss, and Ohio State plays Indiana, Michigan and then possibly the Big Ten championship game. Baylor has yet to face Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and No. 12 Kansas State.

Alabama will host Western Carolina on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network), and rival No. 14 Auburn next week. A win against the Tigers gives the Crimson Tide the Western Division title and secures a spot in the SEC Championship Game against either No. 10 Georgia or No. 20 Missouri on Dec. 6.

“We have a long way ahead of us,” sophomore defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinsons said earlier this week.

Florida State hosts Boston College on Saturday and closes the regular season against Florida. It will likely play either No. 18 Georgia Tech or Duke in the ACC title game, while Alabama could be facing another top-10 opponent in Atlanta.

“We knew that the LSU and Mississippi State games were going to be tough games,” senior safety Nick Perry said about the impressive back-to-back victories, 20-13 in overtime and 25-20. “We all knew going in that we were going to need each other’s best games in order to win those games. I feel like I had to do that for our team to win.”

If Alabama wins out and holds on to the No. 1 ranking, it would host the No. 4 team in the Sugar Bowl, right now Mississippi State, while Oregon and Florida State would play in the Rose Bowl for the semifinals.

College Football Playoff Rankings
Rank, Team, Record
1 Alabama 9-1
2 Oregon 9-1
3 Florida State 10-0
4 Mississippi State 9-1
5 TCU 9-1
6 Ohio State 9-1
7 Baylor 8-1
8 Ole Miss 8-2
9 UCLA 8-2
10 Georgia 8-2
11 Michigan State 8-2
12 Kansas State 7-2
13 Arizona State 8-2
14 Auburn 7-3
15 Arizona 8-2
16 Wisconsin 8-2
17 Utah 7-3
18 Georgia Tech 9-2
19 USC 7-3
20 Missouri 8-2
21 Oklahoma 7-3
22 Clemson 7-3
23 Nebraska 8-2
24 Louisville 7-3
25 Minnesota 7-3