The first set of College Football Playoff rankings was good.
The second set might not change much, despite a little chaos heading into Week 11. No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State lost on Saturday, which puts the Big Ten's spot in the College Football Playoff in jeopardy. The same four unbeaten teams remain in the Power 5, but we still have just two in the top four.
MORE: Big Ten's playoff hopes take massive hit
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 second set of rankings.
Who's in? Here is the playoff picture heading into Week 11:
College Football Playoff picks
1. Alabama (9-0)
Alabama advanced with a 24-10 victory against rival LSU, and that's Stage 1 in a month that also features Mississippi State and Auburn in SEC West play. The Tide might bump up to the No. 1 spot on Tuesday for drama purposes, or the committee could leave Georgia in the top spot. Either way, Nick Saban has enough to keep this team motivated. He always does.
2. Georgia (9-0)
The Bulldogs clinched the SEC East on Saturday with two conference games left, which is both impressive and an indictment on the competition within the division. Jake Fromm had an impressive and efficient performance against South Carolina in the 24-10 victory. Now, a test against two-loss Auburn awaits.
3. Notre Dame (8-1)
Brandon Wimbush totaled 280 passing yards, 110 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in a 48-37 shootout with Wake Forest, and the Irish's playoff push remains clear. Now, they'll get a top-10 showdown with Miami on the road in a game that will evoke memories of the legendary past showdowns with the Hurricanes. Brian Kelly has Notre Dame in great position.
4. Clemson (8-1)
The Tigers won another critical ACC Atlantic game at N.C. State, and they can wrap up a trip to Charlotte for the conference championship game with a victory against Florida State. The defending national champions are in the hunt, and Dabo Swinney still knows how to close games. That happened against the Wolfpack.
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The field
ACC
Unbeatens: Miami
One-loss teams: Clemson
Contenders: Miami proved its worth with a 28-10 victory against Virginia Tech, which sets up an electric showdown with Notre Dame in Week 11. That also puts the Hurricanes on a crash course with Clemson for the ACC championship. The Tigers can clinch their spot with a win against Florida State next week.
Big Ten
Unbeatens: Wisconsin
One-loss teams: None
Contenders: Penn State losing 27-24 to Michigan State is a little surprising. Ohio State's 55-24 loss at Iowa is a shocker. The Big Ten East has four two-loss teams when you factor in Michigan. All of those teams face long odds to get back in the College Football Playoff for different reasons. The Badgers remained undefeated, and they likely will slide up into either the No. 6 or No. 7 spot ahead of the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. Is Wisconsin the Big Ten's last hope?
MORE: How will Urban Meyer, Buckeyes react to loss?
Big 12
Unbeatens: None
One-loss teams: Oklahoma, TCU
Contenders: Oklahoma knocked off Oklahoma 62-52 in a Bedlam game that lived up to the billing. The one-loss Sooners likely will be in the No. 5 spot on Tuesday, and that's a good spot, as long as they take care of business against TCU on Saturday. That's another top-10 game for the conference, and there won't be another one this regular season. The winner must take advantage.
Pac-12
Unbeatens: None
One-loss teams: Washington
Contenders: Washington State knocked Stanford off the two-loss line on Saturday, and that's preserving some of the hype around the Apple Cup showdown against the Huskies. USC took control of the Pac-12 South with a convincing victory against Arizona. The Pac-12 still faces long odds, but the chaos in the Big Ten didn't hurt Washington at all.
MORE: Alabama got hit with 'hard,' and 'hard' will keep coming
SEC
Unbeatens: Alabama, Georgia
One-loss teams: None
Contenders: Auburn and Mississippi State are the last two-loss spoilers in the conference, and both come into focus this week. The Bulldogs get a swing at Alabama in Starkville, and the Tigers will take their chances with Georgia in Athens. The blockbuster undefeated matchup between Alabama and Georgia — regardless of order — remains on schedule.
Group of 5
Contenders: UCF remains the only unbeaten team in the Group of 5, and the best thing the Knights can do is to continue to win and root for implosions like the Big Ten endured on Saturday. The more two-loss teams pile up, the better for UCF. Still, the ceiling remains a New Year's Day Six bowl bid.
