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The College Football Playoff Committee has spoken for the first time this season, and No. 1 Georgia (8-0), No. 2 Alabama (8-0), No. 3 Notre Dame (7-1) and No. 4 Clemson (7-1) are the four teams sitting atop the rankings in this season's initial release.

But college football fans know that the initial rankings may be good for talk shows, debates and projections, but they may not have anything to do with the four teams that will be left standing at the end of the season and have a chance to win the sport's national championship.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban decried the rankings in a press conference even before they came out because he does not want anything distracting the Crimson Tide from the job at hand. This week Alabama plays LSU, and while there's always a chance Saban's team could lose a game, the Crimson Tide appear to be head and shoulders above the Tigers.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press/Associated Press

Here's how we see the Final Four playing out at the end of the season (current rankings in parentheses).

1. Alabama (2)

2. Ohio State (6)

3. Clemson (4)

4. Notre Dame (3)

Alabama is pretty much a given. While there are four undefeated teams among the Power Five conferences right now (apologies to UCF), the only one standing at the end of the season will be Alabama. Georgia has had a wonderful year to this point and is on a collision course with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

However, the Bulldogs may not get to that game as an undefeated team because they could be vulnerable against South Carolina this Saturday or in a road game at Auburn the following week. Even if they can make it through the regular season unblemished, we expect Alabama to punish the Dawgs in the SEC title game. If Georgia loses that game by more than two touchdowns, it won't belong in the Final Four.

Miami (7-0) is undefeated going into Saturday's showdown with a very strong Virginia Tech team. If the Hurricanes survive that game, they face Notre Dame the following week, and we can't see them winning that game.

A closer look at Miami's schedule reveals it gave up 30 points to Toledo, barely beat Florida State, edged Georgia Tech by a point and had to fight to the end to get past Syracuse and North Carolina. This is not a championship-caliber team, and it will play out that way over the next few weeks.

Wisconsin (8-0) has had an easy run of it to this point and will likely remain undefeated until the Big Ten Championship Game.

The Badgers are lucky to reside in the Big Ten's West Division. The toughest regular-season game is a Nov. 18 matchup at home with Michigan, and the Wolverines have played beneath expectations this season. For rankings purposes, the Badgers would be much better off playing a more challenging schedule.

Projecting ahead, the Badgers will likely face Ohio State (7-1) in the Big Ten title game. Ohio State has had a tough schedule, and games against Oklahoma and Penn State have steeled head coach Urban Meyer's team, which still has meetings with Michigan State and Michigan.

We expect the Buckeyes, who lost early in the year to the Sooners, to keep on improving and thoroughly take apart the Badgers in the Big Ten title game.

Why not Oklahoma (7-1)? Yes, the Sooners had a spectacular victory at Ohio Stadium earlier this year. However, with games against Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia coming up, we can't see Oklahoma winning all of them. If it does, it will have a great argument, but that's not going to happen.

The Clemson Tigers, who have been to the national championship game each of the last two years, should make the Final Four again this year. The Tigers had a head-slapping loss at Syracuse earlier in the year, but that is likely to be head coach Dabo Swinney's only loss this year. Swinney knows how to prepare his team for the limelight, and the Tigers will not lose another.

Neither will Notre Dame, which seems to get stronger every week. The Fighting Irish dropped a 20-19 decision to Georgia earlier in the year, but they have rolled over Michigan State, USC and NC State. Notre Dame's rushing attack may be the best in the nation.

Georgia, Wisconsin and Miami may be undefeated and are very good-to-excellent teams. However, they will lose their undefeated status and won't make the Final Four.

Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Notre Dame will make up the four teams left standing when the championship is to be decided.