College Football Polls

Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the upcoming college football season, the preseason 2020 Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA Today was officially released Thursday afternoon.

As expected, Clemson claimed the No. 1 spot with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a number of other key players returning from last year's 14-1 squad that reached the CFP National Championship Game.

Big Ten front-runners Ohio State finished a close second in the balloting, with Alabama, Georgia and LSU rounding out the fop five.

Here's a quick rundown of the full rankings:

1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Georgia
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. Penn State
8. Florida
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Auburn
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Michigan
16. Oklahoma State
17. USC
18. Minnesota
19. North Carolina
20. Utah
21. UCF
22. Cincinnati
23. Iowa
24. Virginia Tech
25. Iowa State

While an ACC team sits atop the rankings, the SEC was well represented as usual:

SEC teams ranked in the 2020 preseason Coaches Poll:

#3 Alabama
#4 Georgia
#5 LSU
#8 Florida
#11 Auburn
#13 Texas A&M

Others receiving votes:

#26 Tennessee, #29 Kentucky & #39 Mississippi State

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) August 6, 2020

North Carolina is a team on the rise, and head coach Mack Brown told reporters that he was pleased with the team's position at No. 19 in the poll, via Zoom: 

Mack Brown says that the team is excited about the new schedule and being ranked No. 19 in the coaches poll. Adds that Syracuse in Week 1 means the coaching staff will have adjustments to make in their preparation to play.

— Jared McMasters (@McMastersJ) August 6, 2020

On the flip side, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell was not a fan of his team's placement at No. 22 on the heels of an 11-3 season: 

Informed (in real time) that the #Bearcats were at #22 in the Coaches Poll, Fickell responded: "OK, I don't like that. Still disrespectful, but that's OK."

— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) August 6, 2020

There have already been several notable players who have opted out of the 2020 season, including Penn State All-American linebacker Micah Parsons. That raises a fair question: 

Penn State starts at No. 7 in the Coaches Poll.

I'm gonna make a wild guess that at least 99% of the coaches/SIDs who ranked the Lions did so under the premise that Micah Parsons would be playing football this year.

— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) August 6, 2020

Chris Vannini of The Athletic provided some interesting statistics regarding the lack of Group of Five teams in the preseason poll in recent years, including a notable snub of Memphis this year: 

In recent history, there are always more Group of 5 teams in the top 25 at the end of the season than in the preseason. No respect, I tell ya. pic.twitter.com/WHPRR2aklT

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 6, 2020

Despite the oft-overlooked nature of being a Group of Five school, UCF can still boast something that no other team in the state of Florida can: 

Florida teams ranked in the Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll in the past 3 seasons (2018 - 2020):

1. UCF Knights

That's it, that's the list! pic.twitter.com/2HqOLCM5lC

— UCF Sports Info (@UCFSportsInfo) August 6, 2020

It remains to be seen what exactly the 2020 college football season is going to look like and there's a lot to be sorted out in the days and weeks to come, but the coaches poll at least gives us something to debate in the meantime.

Bring on the postseason.

The final College Football Playoff rankings were set Sunday after conference championships were decided over the previous two days. The semifinals will take place Saturday, Dec. 28, with No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl and No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.

Below, we'll take a look at those rankings and analyze how we ended up here.

   

Rankings

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Baylor

8. Wisconsin

9. Florida

10. Penn State

11. Utah

12. Auburn

13. Alabama

14. Michigan

15. Notre Dame

16. Iowa

17. Memphis

18. Minnesota

19. Boise State

20. Appalachian State

21. Cincinnati

22. USC

23. Navy

24. Virginia

25. Oklahoma State

   

Analysis

The CFP selection committee's job ended up being pretty easy this season.

With wins in their respective conference championships, LSU, Ohio State and Clemson finished undefeated. Oklahoma won the Big 12 with just one loss, while Utah lost its second game of the season in the Pac-12 title game against Oregon. Alabama picked up its second loss last week in the Iron Bowl, ending any real debate over the No. 4 team.

Coming into Sunday, the biggest question was whether LSU or Ohio State would be the top team in the country. Both made strong arguments.

LSU had big-time wins against Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia. Ohio State countered with quality wins against Wisconsin (twice), Penn State and Michigan. LSU is led by Joe Burrow, who is expected to win the Heisman Trophy by a wide margin. Ohio State counters with its own exciting quarterback, Justin Fields, and defensive end Chase Young, who will be in the running to be the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Not only is Joe Burrow going to win the Heisman, he went the entire season without a single "bad" game.

Add: 27-of-37 (72.9) for 347 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 187.4 rtg to this ridiculous game log. pic.twitter.com/aBZprrqGbV

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 8, 2019

Justin Fields truly has had an historic season. In the last 11 years no qb with at least 40 TD passes has come close to his efficiency -- 40 TDs, 1 INT. Closest is Marcus Mariota with 42-4 in 2014.

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 8, 2019

LSU put its best foot forward in the SEC title game, smashing Georgia 37-10. After the game, Burrow didn't seem to care much for where LSU would be ranked or who it will play next.

"You can take us to Canada, and we'll play on a gravel lot," he said, per Scott Rabalais of the Advocate. "It doesn't matter where or who we play."

Ohio State, meanwhile, had to overcome a 21-7 deficit against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. But 27 unanswered points later, it was the conference champion.

"We took their best shot, but we still had a half," Buckeyes running back J.K. Dobbins said, per the Associated Press. "It would be cool to be No. 1. We're a complete team, I think."

The committee chose LSU.

That means Ohio State will have the difficult task of facing Clemson, which handled its business as always with a 62-17 blowout of Virginia in the ACC title game. The Tigers lack the signature wins LSU and Ohio State boast, but dismiss the defending champions at your own peril.

"This is an incredibly special group of young people," head coach Dabo Swinney told Scott Keepfer of the Greenville News. "This was a great way to finish our season and kick off the postseason."

Clemson is the 5th team to score at least 60 points in a conference championship game, joining 2017 UCF, 2012 Wisconsin, 2008 Oklahoma and 2005 Texas.

Clemson's 45-point win is the largest in an ACC Championship Game. pic.twitter.com/1kVec3p3l1

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 8, 2019

Oklahoma's 30-23 overtime win, meanwhile, set up a matchup with LSU. It also meant yet another conference title for Jalen Hurts, who returns to the postseason with his second team after previously winning the title with Alabama.

"There is a narrative out there that the SEC is a different animal, but the Big 12 is tough," Hurts said Saturday, per Mark Heim of AL.com. "Baylor, they're a really good team, very physical team, and I got a lot of respect for them. We're going to enjoy it."

And so a number of familiar faces return to the CFP, headlining another year of exciting postseason matchups.

Bowl season is upon us. 

With the conference title games in the books, the college football world now turns to the postseason. And that means that the final Amway Coaches Poll of the regular season was released on Sunday. Below, we'll check out those rankings and the key games that altered them.

              

Rankings

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Florida

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

10. Utah

11. Wisconsin

12. Penn State

13. Auburn 

14. Notre Dame

15. Memphis

16. Minnesota

17. Michigan

18. Boise State

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Navy

22. Cincinnati 

23. USC

24. Air Force

25. Virginia

               

The final Associated Press poll of the 2019 regular season is in, and LSU will head into the playoffs as the writers' favorite to take home a national championship. 

The Tigers remained the country's No. 1 team after thrashing Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, with Ohio State coming in at No. 2. Clemson, Oklahoma and Georgia round out the top five.

Here's a look at the entire Top 25:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Florida

7. Oregon

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

9. Auburn

11. Wisconsin

12. Utah

13. Penn State

14. Notre Dame

15. Memphis

16. Minnesota

17. Michigan

18. Boise State

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Navy

22. USC

23. Cincinnati

24. Air Force

25. Oklahoma State

The AP top four mirrors the College Football Playoff selection committee, which also announced its final rankings Sunday.

LSU's dominant win over Georgia undoubtedly played a large factor in the Tigers receiving the No. 1 seed. Joe Burrow threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns in the 37-10 romp over the then-No. 4 team in the country, cementing his Heisman season with a borderline flawless performance.

"In my opinion, he should win [the Heisman]," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters after the game. "In my opinion, he's going to win it. The best thing about Joe is he's a team player. All he wants to do is win this game. Individual awards are not high on his list. That's what makes him such a great team player."

Ohio State also earned a conference championship Saturday but lost the style points battle after an ugly first half against Wisconsin. The Buckeyes went into the break trailing 21-14 but roared back in the second half with 27 unanswered to win their third straight Big Ten title.

Justin Fields threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while J.K. Dobbins rushed for 172 yards and a score.

"I think the whole team knew we didn't play to our potential in the first half," Fields told reporters. "We got together and came out with confidence in the second half and just played our game."

Clemson and Oklahoma also had diametrically opposed experiences in their respective championship contests. While Clemson breezed to a 62-17 win over an overmatched Virginia team, Oklahoma was taken to overtime by Baylor despite the Bears being down to their third-string quarterback. Jacob Zeno connected on his first two passes after entering the game, totaling 159 yards, and springing life into Baylor in the fourth quarter. 

However, Oklahoma's defense came alive in the overtime period following a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run and held on for the win. 

LSU will meet the Sooners on Dec. 28 in the Peach Bowl, while Ohio State and Clemson go head-to-head in the Fiesta. 

After months of debate, the College Football Playoff will be announced Sunday, but the committee shouldn't have too difficult of choices going into the final poll.

Several teams had a chance to play their way into the national semifinals with a strong performance this weekend but came up short, while others earned their spots thanks to full seasons worth of strong play. People from all areas of the country will likely still take the chance to argue for their teams, but the four best and most deserving squads should get a bid to the playoffs.

Here is a prediction for which four teams will be on the field for the biggest college football games of the year.

   

Peach Bowl: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma

There have been plenty of arguments between the resumes of LSU and Ohio State over the past few weeks, but the Tigers separated themselves even before the Big Ten title game kicked off Saturday.

Joe Burrow likely secured a Heisman Trophy with his performance in the 37-10 win over Georgia in the SEC Championship:

Broadway Joe is unbelievable 🍿⁰⁰(via @CBSSports)⁰pic.twitter.com/5BwbExvfxo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2019

The eye test was impressive enough, but the resume has truly stood out this year:

LSU won at Alabama, against Georgia on a neutral, beat Auburn and Florida, and challenged themselves out of conference at Texas. I don't care if Ohio State wins by 100 tonight. There is ZERO argument for anyone other than LSU as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 8, 2019

#LSU making a case for No. 1.
I don't know how the CFP committee can deny a team with two wins over top-five teams at the time away from home.

— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) December 8, 2019

The committee thought highly of Georgia all year long, but LSU dominated the squad from start to finish despite it being close to a road atmosphere in Atlanta. Adding in a win on the road against Alabama when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy, no one else in the country can match the resume.

We don't yet know if LSU is the best team in college football, but it's deserving of a No. 1 seed.

Oklahoma hasn't been quite as dominant this year, but the 12-1 record and a Big 12 title are enough to secure a spot in the playoff.

The Sooners have the worst loss of all the top contenders after dropping a game to Kansas State earlier in the year. They also haven't dominated in their wins, squeaking out five wins by just one score.

Still, Jalen Hurts and Co. were able to beat Baylor for a second time Saturday and have done enough to earn a chance to play for a title.

Utah could've had a decent argument with a win in the Pac-12 Championship Game, but that contest belonged to Oregon.

It leaves what could be an intriguing battle between Hurts and his former SEC West rival in what should be a high-scoring contest.

        

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson

It wouldn't be a surprise if Ohio State ends up at No. 1.

The team has been blowing out opponents throughout the year, even more than Clemson:

Ohio State wins the Big Ten Championship Game 34-21.

The Buckeyes’ 13-point win gives them the 2nd–largest single season point margin in the AP Poll Era, moving them ahead of 1944 Army.

Clemson remains in a tie for 4th with itself. pic.twitter.com/a8BTeZ4F3r

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 8, 2019

Of course, the schedule has been much tougher than the Tigers' with wins over Michigan and Penn State as well as two over Wisconsin. It wasn't a blowout win in the Big Ten title game, but the squad showed impressive resolve in overcome a 14-point halftime deficit.

The Buckeyes have been incredible both offensively and defensively this season with elite playmakers on both sides of the ball.

The biggest difference between them and LSU is the type of peak wins for each team. The only difficult road game for Ohio State was at Michigan, while the neutral-field battle against Wisconsin caused plenty of trouble. The Tigers had a slightly tougher schedule and did enough to earn a No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, Ohio State and Clemson will both get the chance to show they are truly the best team in the country this postseason.

Although Clemson wasn't always heavily discussed during the course of season, few doubted the team's ability, just the resume.

The Tigers added plenty of style points Saturday with a dominant 62-17 win over Virginia in the ACC Championship.

Trevor Lawrence made it look easy with four touchdowns in the dominant effort:

Big plays in big moments for Clemson 🔥

(📍@MercedesBenzUSA) pic.twitter.com/dsGJ05EjDL

— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2019

He now has 20 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his last six games. 

With the quarterback continuing to grow as a passer, Travis Etienne as good as any running back in the country and a defense that is always tough, this team has a good chance to repeat as national champions.

The only reason to doubt this team was the lack of quality wins. With Virginia likely to leave the Top 25, Clemson will have no wins over ranked teams this year, which hurts even an undefeated team.

Head coach Dabo Swinney might be able to use this as motivation, but the Tigers don't deserve any better than the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia remain atop the Amway College Football Coaches Poll released Sunday. 

That combination has been ranked in the top four spots in each of the past four weeks. The first big change came at No. 5 following Alabama's 48-45 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday:

      

Amway Top 25

1. LSU (12-0)

2. Ohio State (12-0)

3. Clemson (12-0) 

4. Georgia (11-1)

5. Utah (11-1)

6. Oklahoma (11-1)

7. Florida (10-2)

8. Baylor (11-1)

9. Alabama (10-2)

10. Wisconsin (10-2)

11. Penn State (10-2)

12. Auburn (9-3)

13. Oregon (10-2)

14. Notre Dame (10-2)

15. Minnesota (10-2)

16. Memphis (11-1)

17. Boise State (11-1)

18. Michigan (9-3)

19. Iowa (9-3)

20. Appalachian State (11-1)

21. Cincinnati (10-2)

22. Virginia (9-3)

23. Navy (9-2)

24. USC (8-4)

25. Air Force (10-2)

      

Rivalry games didn't present much of a challenge for Ohio State, LSU, Clemson and Georgia this week. Those four teams were victorious by a combined total of 152 points.

Despite being the reigning national champions and riding a 27-game winning streak following a 38-3 win over South Carolina, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters: "Obviously, if we lose this game, they are going to kick us out. They don't want us there anyway. We'd drop to 20 [had Clemson lost to South Carolina]. Georgia loses to this very same team, and it's, 'How do we keep Georgia in?'"

The Tigers will head into the ACC Championship Game against Virginia looking to make one final statement before the final rankings are released next Sunday.

Based on opponent rankings coming into the week, the Buckeyes' win over Michigan was the most impressive of the bunch. They steamrolled the Wolverines 56-27 and racked up 577 total yards of offense in The Big House. 

LSU and Georgia had already clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama, on the other hand, needed to defeat Auburn if it wanted to have any chance of cracking the Top Four in the College Football Playoff rankings. 

The Crimson Tide put forth a valiant effort at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but they were unable to overcome a missed field goal with two minutes remaining and two Mac Jones interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

THE BACK-PICK SIX pic.twitter.com/QuwSnjS6ho

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 30, 2019

It's a testament to Alabama's consistent level of dominance that this is the first time in nine years the program has lost two games in the regular season.

With its loss to Auburn, this is the first time Alabama has lost multiple games in the regular season since 2010. pic.twitter.com/HoUpkfYUCC

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 1, 2019

The Crimson Tide's defeat opened the door for Utah and Oklahoma to move up the rankings. The Utes moved up one spot thanks to their 45-15 win over Colorado. This marks the program's first appearance in the Top Five since going undefeated (13-0) in 2008. 

Utah will face its biggest test of the season Friday against No. 13 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Head coach Kyle Whittingham's team lost this game 10-3 to Washington last year, and the program hasn't won a conference title since 2008, when it was still in the Mountain West. 

Coming off two close victories against Baylor and TCU, Oklahoma had a dominant performance in its 34-16 win over Oklahoma State. The Sooners will have to beat Baylor a second time in the Big 12 Championship Game if they want to remain in the playoff mix.

Jalen Hurts catches a TD for @OU_Football and throws up the X in Stillwater! 😳 pic.twitter.com/AQWBw5qxJb

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 1, 2019

Baylor continues to quietly go about its business, bouncing back from its 34-31 loss to Oklahoma two weeks ago with wins over Texas and Kansas. The Bears will look to exact revenge against their conference rivals and win their first outright Big 12 title since 2013 on Saturday. 

LSU vs. Georgia is the biggest matchup on Championship Saturday, with two Top Four teams trying solidify their spot in the Top Four of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State will look to cap off one of the most dominant regular seasons in school history in a rematch with Wisconsin that the Buckeyes won 38-7 on Oct. 26.

A week ago, the college football landscape shook after LSU's triumph over Alabama and Minnesota's shocking upset of Penn State. 

This week's results came and went with few upsets but one landscape-altering injury. 

The latest Associated Press poll remains unchanged at the top, with LSU maintaining a solid lead over No. 2 Ohio State. Clemson comes in at the third spot, while Georgia moves into the No. 4 spot ahead of Alabama, which lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the season in a win over Mississippi State.

Here is a look at how the entire Top 25 played out:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Alabama

6. Oregon

7. Utah

8. Oklahoma

9. Penn State

10. Florida

11. Minnesota

12. Michigan

13. Baylor

14. Wisconsin

15. Notre Dame

16. Auburn

17. Cincinnati

18. Memphis

19. Iowa

20. Boise State

21. SMU

22. Oklahoma State

23. Appalachian State

24. Texas A&M

25. Virginia Tech

Tagovailoa suffered a fractured and dislocated hip in the second quarter of Saturday's 38-7 win when he was brought down by two Mississippi State defenders. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Tagovailoa was in the game to practice the Tide's two-minute drill and was due to sit the second half:

"He was good, at least as good as he was a week ago in terms of his ability to move. I don't think anything he did affected his performance in the first half. So the guy played, and I thought he played really well. And we hate it that he got injured. We hate it for him. We hate it for his family. I hate it when any player on our team gets injured. So Godspeed to him and his entire family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and hope this is not so serious it has any long-term effect on his future as a player."

Tagovailoa was widely expected to be a top-five pick before the injury. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said he's likely moved to the third-ranked quarterback in the 2020 draft, behind LSU's Joe Burrow and Oregon's Justin Herbert, due to health concerns.

It's possible Tagovailoa's injury will also take Alabama out of playoff contention. The Tide will not be playing in the SEC Championship Game unless LSU loses its final two games, so their resume would have been based on the strength of their roster. The downgrade from Tagovailoa to Mac Jones is likely enough to ensure Alabama will miss out on the playoff for the first time since its inception.

Minnesota's playoffs hopes were also dashed in a 23-19 loss at Iowa. The Gophers failed to finish drives, kicking a pair of field goals inside the 10-yard line, and had a turnover on downs deep in Iowa territory that ultimately cost them a 10-0 start.

"This is one game," Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck told reporters. "Everything else is sitting right in front of us. If we can play a game that poorly, we can come back from it. This is not the end of the world. It hurts. It should hurt—it's a rivalry game. This is what college football is all about. ... This is one game. That's all that means."

While Minnesota's loss was disappointing, it pales in comparison to the pain felt in Waco.

Baylor, which came into the week considered disrespected despite a 9-0 record, held a 28-3 lead and 31-10 halftime advantage over Oklahoma. When the sides went into the locker room, the Bears seemed on the cusp of a win strong enough to elevate themselves into the title picture.

Oklahoma scored the game's final 24 points after halftime, walking away with a stunning 34-31 victory. 

The rest of the poll saw little in terms of major movement, with most favorites getting the job done as the regular season's end draws closer. 

Week 12 answered a lot of questions about the college football landscape in the form of big wins, huge comebacks and unfortunate injuries.  

As always, that had major repercussions for the Amway Coaches Poll. Below, we'll take a look at the updated rankings and the results that altered this week's poll.  

              

Rankings

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Alabama

6. Oregon

7. Oklahoma

8. Utah

9. Penn State

10. Florida

11. Minnesota

12. Michigan

13. Baylor

14. Wisconsin

15. Notre Dame

16. Auburn

17. Cincinnati 

18. Memphis

19. Boise State

20. Iowa

21. SMU

22. Appalachian State

23. Oklahoma State

24. Texas A&M

25. San Diego State

Dropped from rankings: Navy, Texas, Indiana

                            

Analysis

There were a ton of huge results and intriguing storylines from the past week in college football, but none were bigger than the season-ending hip injury suffered by Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during his team's 38-7 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. 

"He was screaming in pain as medical training staff had to pick him up and carry him off the cart." @MollyAMcGrath said the first report is that Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury to his right hip vs. Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/ppMJykMq9N

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 16, 2019

Tua Tagovailoa’s season is over. This sucks. From Bama 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/y1Xx3H8Vtq

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 17, 2019

The injury occurred late in the first half, and according to head coach Nick Saban, it was going to be Tagovailoa's last series of the game, with the Crimson Tide holding a big lead. Saban wanted Tagovailoa and the offense to practice the two-minute drill.

"We can second guess ourselves all we want," Saban added, per the Associated Press. "We told Mac (Jones) to warm up and we were going to go 2-minute before the half. Tua wanted to play in the game and so I don't really make a lot of decisions worrying if a guy is going to get hurt."

It's fair to question how the College Football Playoff committee might judge Alabama without Tagovailoa under center, however. With both LSU and Georgia winning on Saturday and on a collision course for the SEC title game—and with Alabama still yet to face a tough Auburn side in the Iron Bowl—the Crimson Tide are in very real jeopardy of missing the playoff for the first time ever. 

Along with LSU and Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson each picked up wins this week. And other teams could catch Alabama from behind after big wins on Saturday.

Don't sleep on Oregon. The Ducks are now 9-1 after a 34-6 win over Arizona. And don't forget about Utah, either—the Utes are also 9-1 and absolutely blasted UCLA on Saturday, 49-3. Those teams are heading for a likely showdown in the Pac-12 title game, and the winner of that contest is going to be able to make a very strong case for inclusion in the playoff. 

I hope Utah and Oregon don’t stub their toe before the championship game because they’re both very good

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 17, 2019

Ditto for Oklahoma. The Sooners erased a 28-3 deficit against Baylor on Saturday, winning 34-31.

Oklahoma's 21-point halftime deficit overcome to win is the largest to defeat an FBS team that entered the game 9-0 or better since NCAA classification began in 1937.

The previous record was 17 points by USC against 9-0 ND in 1964 and Nevada against 10-0 Boise State in 2010. pic.twitter.com/quCH7PC3ro

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 17, 2019

Those two teams are likely heading for a rematch in the Big-12 title game, and a second win in the matchup for Oklahoma would give them several nice wins on their resume.

Baylor wasn't the only previously-undefeated team to fall on Saturday. Minnesota's playoff hopes likely came to an end after a 23-19 loss to Iowa, though the Golden Gophers are still on track to reach the Big Ten title game, where they would likely face Ohio State. 

But there is football yet to be played before any conference title games are decided, and boy, does Week 13 have a few doozies in store. None is bigger than a matchup between undefeated Ohio State and one-loss Penn State, as the Buckeyes look to solidify their standing as one of the top teams in the nation and the Nittany Lions attempt to claw back into the playoff picture. 

Other big matchups on tap include Temple facing Cincinnati, Texas A&M taking on Georgia, Texas facing Baylor, Michigan traveling to Indiana and SMU facing Navy. 

What a Saturday of football.  

With a huge day in the books and two top-five teams losing, Sunday's Amway Coaches Poll was always likely to have a different look atop the rankings. Below, we'll review those changes. 

                   

Rankings

1. LSU

2. Ohio State 

3. Clemson

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Minnesota

8. Oklahoma

9. Utah

10. Baylor

11. Penn State

12. Florida

13. Auburn

14. Michigan

15. Wisconsin

16. Notre Dame

17. Cincinnati 

18. Memphis

19. Boise State

20. SMU

21. Navy 

22. Iowa

23. Texas

24. Appalachian State

25. Indiana

Teams dropped out of rankings: Wake Forest, Kansas State, San Diego State

                     

Analysis

The LSU Tigers staked their claim as the best team in college, traveling to Tuscaloosa and knocking off the Alabama Crimson Tide 46-41 behind the sterling play of quarterback Joe Burrow.

All he did was finish 31-of-39 for 393 yards and three touchdowns, adding 64 more yards on the ground, in a statement win for the Tigers.

Joe Burrow was 10-15 with 3 TD on throws 10+ yards downfield Saturday.

His 10 completions on those throws were the most Alabama has allowed since 2016 against Arkansas (11). pic.twitter.com/3ANzG9i55W

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 10, 2019

"He's one of the best we've had here," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said of Burrow, per the Associated Press. "But we've still got four games left and we're going down the road, we're going to try to win every game and we're going to bring a championship back to Louisiana."

"We're not done yet," Burrow added. "It's Game 9. We've got three more regular-season ones and the SEC championship. This was never our goal. We've got bigger goals than this."

What an extraordinary performance from Joe Burrow and #LSU. Cannot overstate what they had to overcome today.

— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) November 10, 2019

Burrow is a bbbaaaaaaaadddddddddd dude

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 10, 2019

Heisman statement game for Burrow

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 10, 2019

The one-loss Crimson Tide aren't done yet, either, with their playoff aspirations still intact despite Saturday's loss. But it's rare to see an Alabama defense get carved to pieces in the manner Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (180 yards from scrimmage, four total touchdowns) and receivers Ja'Marr Chase (six receptions for 140 yards and a score) and Justin Jefferson (seven receptions for 79 yards) did to them. 

Much will be made about Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being less than 100 percent. But he doesn't play defense. Alabama has some issues on that side of the ball. 

Haven’t seen an Alabama defense look this bad in a long time.

— Mike Francesa (@MikeFrancesa) November 10, 2019

After their impressive display, the Tigers appear to be the team to beat in college football. But with Ohio State and Clemson each rolling on Saturday, they certainly aren't alone atop the rankings.

Penn State dropped from the land of the unbeatens, however, with a 31-26 loss against Minnesota on Saturday that put both their Big Ten title hopes and playoff aspirations in peril. 

"We knew they were a good football team," Penn State head coach James Franklin said, per the AP. "It's hard to be undefeated."

Indeed it is. Only LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Baylor and Minnesota remain unblemished. 

And a number of teams will be looking to avoid what could potentially be crippling losses for their playoff hopes next week. Georgia face an enormous test against Auburn, as does Notre Dame against Navy, Clemson against Wake Forest and Oklahoma against Baylor. 

For both Georgia and Oklahoma, losses could also end their conference title hopes. So just another Saturday with huge implications for college football.