The history of the Playoff committee’s rankings, all in one spot.

We’re now in the fourth year of the College Football Playoff era, meaning we’re finally starting to build up some actual history here.

Below, let’s keep track of how many total weeks each team has been ranked so far, just for fun. Also noted: each team’s highest ranking so far. We’ll update this each week of the 2017 season as well, after the committee rolls up on Halloween.

You can also grab full rankings for each week here: 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Alabama and Clemson have been the greatest teams of the Playoff era! Definitely needed a spreadsheet in order to gain that insight!

Entering 2017, the only teams to rank in every committee top 25 from the first three years were those two, the other national champ of the Playoff era, the last champ of the BCS era, and the mighty Utah Utes (!). That group of five would soon thin.

Also, in the first three years, the committee only ranked three teams No. 1: the last two national champs and ... Mississippi State! Never forget the SEC’s all-time least-winningest program was the first-ever Playoff No. 1.

The only ranking that really matters is the one before bowl season, of course.

In the first three years’ initial rankings, at least one non-Alabama SEC team started in the top four. 2014 Auburn, 2015 LSU, and 2016 Texas A&M finished in the teens or worse. Alabama was the only SEC team to make each Playoff.

However, each of those years had a team start in the teens and finish in the Playoff (2014 Ohio State, 2015 Oklahoma) or at No. 5 (2016 Penn State).

How do you make the Playoff? It’s pretty straightforward, so far.

• Finish with one or fewer losses (100 percent of Playoff teams have done this).
• Beat at least three teams ranked in the committee’s Dec. 3 top 25 (100 percent).
• Beat at least six teams that have .500-plus records on Dec. 3 (100 percent).
• Win a Power 5 conference outright (92 percent).

Going above and beyond is advisable, though your schedule might not cooperate.