AP Top 25’s top 4 is Clemson, Alabama, Mich. St., Oklahoma

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A helmet is raised in celebration after the Michigan State Spartans defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. He’ll have to spend a good portion of the next 25 days trying to convince you, me and his Coke bottle that Michigan State is a legitimate threat to become the second Big Ten champion this calendar year to excuse Alabama early from the College Football Playoff. SEC champion Alabama opened its 2015 season with a victory over Wisconsin at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. No. 2 Alabama will play No. 3 Michigan State at the Cotton Bowl in the nightcap of the December 31 doubleheader.

The teams have played just once – a blowout win for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 Capital One Bowl – but that is just scratching the surface.

This Michigan State team is coached by Master Stoic Mark Dantonio, one of the most successful branches of the Saban coaching tree.

Scott ran 22 times for 73 yards against a stingy defense that stopped Michigan State on four consecutive snaps inside the Iowa 5 in the final two minutes.

SMART FINALE: Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is expected to remain with the Crimson Tide throughout the College Football Playoff after being named coach of Georgia, his alma mater.

The Spartans turned a botched punt into a last-play, game-winning touchdown at MI.

And on Saturday night, freshman running back LJ Scott took Dantonio’s season mantra literally. Scott is Michigan State’s leading rusher with 691 yards and 11 touchdowns.

By winning his second Big Ten crown in three years – both against previously unbeaten teams – and giving the senior class a record-breaking 43rd career win, Connor Cook and his teammates can turn now their focus to their season-long goal, winning the school’s first outright national title since 1952. I was rooting for the Spartans after being there for 10 years myself and rooting for my former assistant Mark.

Louisville (6-1) jumped three spots to 19th in the new poll, presumably because of its 71-67 loss at Michigan State. Warinner watched from on high for the first time and Barrett was making his fourth start, getting closer to the midseason form that launched him into the 2014 Heisman Trophy race.

And this one is two wins from a national championship.

No. 3 Oklahoma was idle Saturday, like the Buckeyes. No. 23 Cincinnati is at No. 12 Xavier on Saturday.

The college football playoffs show begins at noon on ESPN. Oregon State leads the way at No. 7.

It’s impossible to truly know if North Carolina would have earned a spot in the top four had it upset No. 1-ranked Clemson, but there is no denying that wins over two FCS schools held the Tar Heels back in the committee’s weekly rankings this season.

“We know what kind of physical, tough teams they have at Michigan State, and it will be a real challenge for our team”, Saban said Sunday. The biggest could come from the Big Ten championship game, where Michigan State handed Iowa its first loss of the year.