Playoff Projection: Alabama, Oregon, FSU nearly knotted

The panel that votes each week in the Football Four Playoff Projection has a clear vision of the best three teams in college football. But it's not exactly sure of the best one team.

Just one voting point, or 0.36% of the total available, separates the top three teams in the latest Playoff Projection. Alabama and Oregon tied for No. 1 with 65 points, while Florida State was third at 64. Alabama earned the top seed this week by virtue of being ranked ahead of Oregon on seven of the 13 ballots cast.

Last week the tie occurred at No. 4, perhaps the most pivotal spot in the Playoff rankings. But this week Mississippi State shook free of TCU, with 30 points compared to the Horned Frogs' 25.

Never in 28 projections over the past two years has the voting between the top three teams been so close.

Panelist Rick Neuheisel, former head coach at Colorado, Washington and UCLA, has a strong feeling about how to decide between the top teams. " 'Best' team is too subjective," he said. "Most deserving team should be the criteria. By that standard FSU is also number one by virtue of being lone undefeated, and Baylor gets the nod over TCU by virtue of (their) head-to-head contest!"

Seven teams received votes this week, the same seven as last week. Ohio State earned 13 points to Baylor's 11, the reverse of last week.

In addition to Neuheisel, the Football Four Playoff Projection panel includes former FBS coaches Rich Brooks, Tommy Bowden and Jim Grobe, former FBS athletic directors Bill Byrne and Jim Livengood, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and USA TODAY Sports college sports staff members Nicole Auerbach, Joe Fleming, Paul Myerberg, George Schroeder, Daniel Uthman and Dan Wolken.

The panel is modeled after the College Football Playoff selection committee to show what the Playoff pairings might be if they were to be set today. Each panelist enters a six-team ballot, with six points awarded for a No. 1 vote, five for a No. 2 and so on. The projection is purely a mock selection with no bearing on the Playoff selection committee's decisions.

Last week the Football Four panel had a top six of Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, Mississippi State, TCU and Baylor. The College Football Playoff selection committee had Alabama at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2, Florida State at No. 3, Mississippi State at No. 4, TCU at No. 5 and Ohio State at No. 6.

The selection committee's fifth Top 25 ranking is scheduled to be announced at 7 tonight on ESPN.