Through positive tests and canceled games, given Mormons versus Mullets, an undefeated Cincinnati, and thousands of changed Big Ten rules, we’ve finally made it to the permanent version of the 2020 College Football Playoff.

The top four consists (unsurprisingly) of teams the CFP has seen before. Notre Dame is the only Playoff side that has never escaped the bracket with a win under its belt in years past.

That does not mean there weren’t surprises, twists, and turns along the way. A number of teams outside of the Power 5 deserve recognition for captivating the nation with brilliant seasons, before inevitably being overlooked by the selection committee.

A few more units (looking at you, SEC) certainly had their opportunities to sneak into the Playoff field but were eventually turned away at the gate.

Let’s take a look at where some of the most notable teams ended up (and how they made it there) in the final edition of college football’s most powerful rankings.

Even in the midst of a year unlike any other, the top two teams are very familiar faces.

Alabama is the CFP’s No. 1 seed for the fourth time in the history of the bracket and Clemson checks into the Playoff for a record fifth-straight season.

Both took care of business on Saturday. Alabama fought off a tough No. 7 Florida team in Atlanta on Saturday night, escaping with a 52-46 victory.

The Tide’s trio of Heisman hopefuls once again led the way: Mac Jones threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns, running back Najee Harris picked up 245 total yards and five scores, and receiver DeVonta Smith hauled in 15 passes for 184 yards in the victory for Nick Saban’s team.

“This has been a year with a lot of disruptions,” Saban said. “The resiliency this team has shown this season to win 11 games is pretty phenomenal.”

Looking down a spot, No. 2 Clemson put together the most impressive win of the day, blowing past No. 4 Notre Dame 34-10 in the ACC’s battle of CFP squads.

With a revamped roster including Trevor Lawrence, the Tigers took total revenge on a Notre Dame team that it had fallen to in early November.

“We’re trending in the right direction and we are playing our best football,” Lawrence said.

Clemson's quarterback threw for an efficient 322 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, and he and Travis Etienne combined for 214 yards and two more scores on the ground.

Notre Dame struggled to move the ball against a much-improved Clemson defense, picking up just 263 yards on the day. Still, the entire body of work for the Irish was enough to secure a date with Alabama in Dallas.

The third spot of these different rankings went to Ohio State, a team that has played significantly fewer games than its counterparts in the CFP.

However, the Buckeyes and Alabama are the only undefeated teams in the top six, and Ohio State finished off a Big Ten sweep over No. 14 Northwestern on Saturday afternoon, 22-10.

The Wildcats did all they could to put together a massive upset, forcing two Justin Fields interceptions and limiting the junior quarterback to just 12 completions. In the end, Trey Sermon’s 331-yard explosion proved too much to overcome.

“Number one, they’re undefeated,” Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said, explaining why Ohio State deserved a Playoff spot. “Number two, they have an incredibly talented team. They’ve overcome a bunch of adversity through COVID and run the gamut of the Big Ten season.”

There lies your 2020 College Football Playoff field.

Even though the contestants appear remarkably similar to years past, the ways each of the four teams arrived in the top four are vastly different.

Jimbo Fisher was very confident in his team’s chances following its final regular season game, a 34-13 win over Tennessee.

“We play in the best league with the best players,” Fisher said. “That’s as much of an eye test as anything. Eight wins in the SEC--I’d like to see someone else do that.”

Ultimately, A&M’s resume wasn’t enough to put the Aggies in the Playoff picture. Fisher’s team lost just once, a 52-24 drubbing at the hands of Alabama, but had only one ranked win over Florida.

It certainly did enough work near the end of the season to put itself in the conversation, though-- a sign of things to come for a program on the rise.

Following the top five teams, there certainly appeared to be a drop-off in terms of resumes. Oklahoma was the next squad to hear its name called on Sunday following a 27-21 victory over then-No. 6 Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship.

It was an impressive end to the season for Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler and company, which bounced back from two quick losses to open Big 12 play.

“When we were 0-2 in the conference, and I told them a place like OU there’s nowhere to hide,” Riley said. “It’s not like we’re just going to go off and have a bad season and people aren’t going to pay attention.”

Rattler threw for 272 yards and a score on Saturday, and an up-and-coming Sooner defense held the nation’s leading rusher, Breece Hall, to just 79 yards on 23 carries.

As opposed to the disappointment felt by Fisher and Texas A&M after being left on the outside looking in, Riley and Oklahoma were just happy to end with the success they did.

The two greatest underdog stories of the 2020 season ended up-- as expected-- nowhere near the Playoff conversation, despite plenty of fan-led campaigning for a chance to play with the big boys.

Both No. 8 Cincinnati and No. 12 Coastal Carolina ended their campaigns undefeated, but in the end, their respective schedule strength and top wins weren’t enough.

Luke Fickell and the Bearcats ended a dream season with an AAC Championship win over No. 23 Tulsa, finishing 9-0 with three top-25 wins on the year.

“When we came in here four years ago, we said we want to play for championships,” Fickell said. “I believe this team deserves a shot.”

On a less inspiring note, Coastal Carolina’s magical journey came to a halt after the Sun Belt Championship was canceled following a positive test within the Chanticleers’ program.

Coastal finished 11-0 with a rowdy victory over a ranked BYU team, but more than that, it won over the hearts of many in America. Freshman quarterback Grayson McCall and company put college football in Conway, South Carolina on the map for good.

Those are the most important things that went down in a hectic weekend of college football-- both in terms of game action and the College Football Playoff.

While the teams at the top are familiar, there were plenty of fantastic stories that took place across the rankings in what was one of college football’s wildest seasons yet.

All that's left to do is watch.