College Football Playoff rankings winners and losers headlined by Alabama, Clemson
After topping Tennessee, the defending national champions are in position to coast all the way into the national semifinals as the top overall seed.
Who the Bulldogs would face remains very much for debate.
In the second playoff rankings, No. 4 went to TCU, the last of the four Bowl Subdivision unbeatens. The Horned Frogs inched ahead of Tennessee, which lost a crucial SEC East matchup against Georgia but remains right on the cusp of the top four.
The second playoff rankings were also notable for two notable absences near the top: No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Clemson were both ranked outside the top six for the first time in the history of the postseason format.
Follow every game: Live NCAA College Football Scores
For only falling three spots after suffering a second loss, the Crimson Tide lead the list of winners and losers from Tuesday’s rankings:
Winners
Alabama
Optimists will point that Alabama is only a few plays away from being undefeated. Pessimists will highlight how the Crimson Tide are only a few plays away from holding four losses, not just two — games against No. 18 Texas and Texas AM could’ve easily gone the other way. Realists will keep it simple: Alabama has not looked the part of a national champion since the season opener and does not have the resume to come in ahead of multiple one-loss Power Five teams. The Crimson Tide have earned the benefit of the doubt nearly without exception during the program’s run under Nick Saban; this time, they haven’t resembled a team worthy of the ranking. That they’re still in the mix makes the Crimson Tide one of the biggest winners of the evening.
BOWL PROJECTIONS:Two teams replace Tennessee, Clemson in playoff
CALM DOWN:Georgia, two-loss playoff team lead Week 10 overreactions
RE-RANK:Alabama, Clemson among teams tumbling in NCAA 1-131
TCU
Simply moving up from last week’s No. 7 ranking is a huge positive for TCU, which even in fifth would’ve been very optimistic about eventually landing in the semifinals as the undefeated Big 12 champions. Already tucked inside the top four with No. 18 Texas, Baylor, Iowa State and the conference championship to come, the Horned Frogs are in wonderful position to finish No. 3 or even No. 2 in the final rankings should they run the table. Of course, there’s the catch: TCU is in if perfect, out if not.