The College Football Playoff rankings are just two days away.
The first set will be released Tuesday to kick off November, and there are just five weeks remaining in the playoff chase. The latest shakeups saw two top-four teams lose in No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 TCU, and that means the arguments are about to begin. Consider that we left two unbeaten Power 5 teams out of the top four, and we think the committee is going to back that up.
MORE: Penn State's loss hurts now, and won't get better
Alabama and Georgia are creating a two-team SEC narrative, and it has legs. That's another big reaction we're expecting. Sporting News will break down the College Football Playoff picture each week, with the four teams we think are in and the field behind them. Bowl projections are coming Monday in advance of the first set of rankings.
Who's in? Here is the playoff picture heading into Week 10:
College Football Playoff picks
1. Alabama (8-0)
The Crimson Tide enjoyed a bye week, and they open the season's final month in a familiar spot. Alabama will be No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and it has to live up to the ranking under the never-satisfied Nick Saban. This week's matchup against a top-25 LSU will be a good start to the final month. Alabama is outscoring opponents 344-78.
2. Georgia (8-0)
We can hear the SEC conspiracy theorists from all corners, but who else would you put in this spot? Anybody? The Bulldogs dismantled Florida 42-7 and have outscored opponents 305-95. Kirby Smart continues to follow the model of mentor Nick Saban, and it's going to lead to an epic showdown in Atlanta if this continues. Is it a trap game against South Carolina next week?
3. Ohio State (7-1)
Nobody is going to like it when the Buckeyes are ranked ahead of Oklahoma and Wisconsin in the first College Football Playoff rankings, but that's going to happen. The Buckeyes are the team du jour after a thrilling comeback against Penn State, and most would pick Ohio State to beat the Badgers if it comes to that in Indianapolis.
4. Notre Dame (7-1)
The Irish just keep pounding, and that one-point loss to Georgia doesn't look bad at all. With a November that includes games against Miami, Navy and Stanford, the Irish will create some very interesting conversations in November. The first one comes Tuesday with the release. You'll get a sense about how the committee really feels about the Irish compared to Oklahoma, Clemson and Penn State.
MORE: A new Heisman front runner in J.T. Barrett?
The field
ACC
Unbeatens: Miami
One-loss teams: Clemson, Virginia Tech
Contenders: Clemson got back on its feet against Georgia Tech on Saturday, and Dabo Swinney can get the Tigers back in the mix for an ACC championship with games against N.C. State and Florida State upcoming. We still think they make the playoff if they win out — but it might take a Notre Dame loss. There's irony in that. Miami and Virginia Tech meet in a '90s throwback matchup this week, and the loser will be in trouble. Can Mark Richt pull out another close win?
Big Ten
Unbeatens: Wisconsin
One-loss teams: Ohio State, Penn State
Contenders: Wisconsin needs to continue to take care of its business, but the two biggest referendums on the schedule are Michigan and the Big Ten championship. Paul Chryst is the last person to look ahead, however, and that's a good thing. Michigan State and Michigan have two losses each, and the Nittany Lions will be rooting for those teams down the stretch against the Buckeyes.
Big 12
Unbeatens: None
One-loss teams: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU
Contenders: TCU fell from the ranks of the unbeatens with a 14-7 loss to Iowa State. Oklahoma will be ranked behind Ohio State now, and that's going to be a head-scratcher for a lot of people. The Sooners, however, can play into the next spot by beating Oklahoma State and TCU the next two weeks. Somebody must survive those two weeks with one loss. It's not ridiculous to say two-loss Cyclones could be waiting for a rematch in the Big 12 championship game.
Pac-12
Unbeatens: None
One-loss teams: Washington
Contenders: Washington is the only one-loss team remaining in the conference. The Huskies could still make a run back to the College Football Playoff, and there's a decent amount of light in late-season games against Oregon, Stanford, Utah and Washington State. Chris Petersen might want to run it up in a few of those to get some more attention for his team.
MORE: TCU suffers first loss of season to Iowa State
SEC
Unbeatens: Alabama, Georgia
One-loss teams: None
Contenders: Alabama was on a bye week, and Georgia annihilated Florida 42-7 on Saturday in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Crimson Tide face LSU next week. Auburn seems to be the best bet to get in the way of what could be the greatest SEC championship game since the 2008-09 battles between Alabama and Florida.
Group of 5
Contenders: UCF is now the last remaining unbeaten Group of 5 team after South Florida's unexpected loss to Houston. While Scott Frost's work has been impressive in his second season, watch where USF opens in the playoff rankings: If it's higher than No. 15, then we'll have something more to say next week.
