There will be a new No. 1 when the College Football Playoff rankings come on next week.It might just be Alabama.The Crimson Tide (9-1), fifth in the latest top 25 put out by the selection committee, handed Dak Prescott and No 1. Mississippi State their first loss of the season and made a case to be called the best team in the country.Or maybe it’s Oregon (9-1)? The Ducks, off this week, were No. 2 last week, moving ahead of undefeated Florida State (9-0). The defending champion Seminoles get to state their case later Saturday at Miami.But by moving the Ducks past the Seminoles last week the committee showed it was willing to overlook a loss if it felt a team had better victories.The Crimson Tide’s victory combined with a surprisingly close win by No. 4 TCU at Kansas should have Alabama safely in the top four. The Horned Frogs had to rally in the second half to beat the Jayhawks (3-7) 34-30.The committee says it starts each week with a clean slate. How much it penalizes TCU for a shoddy performance is something to keep a close eye on because it affects several teams.Big 12 rival Baylor, sitting at seventh with a victory against TCU, could get a boost. The Bears beat Kansas 60-14. They also posted a more impressive victory against Oklahoma than TCU did. Of course, the Bears still have that hollow nonconference schedule.Don’t worry about sixth-ranked Arizona State. The Sun Devils would play Oregon in the Pac-12 title game, so there’s a good chance they’ll take care of themselves.Ohio State, sitting at eighth, could make a move, too. View gallery Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) fends off Minnesota defensive back Cedric Thompson (2) as h … Then there’s Mississippi State…
Continue Reading: ‘Bama makes case for No. 1 as TCU struggles to win
