1 Alabama The first question is not whether the Tide can be beat. Who in the playoff moves the ball (consistently) against that defense? Don't sleep on Nick Saban being within two wins of tying Bear Bryant. By the time the Washington game kicks off, the last rushing touchdown scored against the D will be 2 ½ months old. -- 0-0

2 Ohio State Best bye week ever. Ohio State got into the playoff despite not having to play a game. That's the third time that's happened in the BCS era (since 1998). Can't wait for J.T. Barrett vs. Deshaun Watson in the playoff. -- 0-0

3 Clemson Dabo Swinney has the Tigers on the greatest run in the program's history. Clemson is 29-2 in its last 31 with two CFP appearances. Perhaps the team best equipped to beat Alabama. -- 2-0

4 Washington Somewhere, Don James is smiling. The Huskies posted the greatest U-Dub season in 25 years. There has to be concern, though, regarding Jake Browning, who has completed only nine of his last 27 passes. Jonathan Allen is drooling. -- 0-0

5 Penn State It's OK to cheer for Nittany Lions football without feeling guilty. James Franklin and crew were the most inspirational story in the Big Ten. The season started with Franklin on the hot seat. It ended with him on players' shoulders. 5 0-0

6 Oklahoma Bob Stoops won his 10th Big 12 title in 18 seasons as the Sooners didn't hang their heads after a 1-2 start. They won nine in a row with Baker Mayfield becoming the conference's first back-to-back player of the year in 12 years. Unlike Auburn, Oklahoma earned its way to the Sugar Bowl. 3 1-0

7 USC Clayton Helton can coach! We weren't sure after a 1-3 start. Only Alabama is playing better at this point. Next stop, Pasadena. Trojans' first trip to the Rose Bowl in eight years. 2 0-0

8 Western Michigan P.J. Fleck should take a bow. (Gratuitous sailing reference.) The Broncos are in a New Year's Six bowl (Cotton). They are only the MAC's second undefeated team in the last 47 years. Now if we could only find out where Fleck is rowing the boat to next. 3 0-0

9 Michigan There were a couple of crucial eye tests for the Wolverines down the stretch. Upon further review, J.T. Barrett made the first down. Michigan remained one of the two best teams in the Big Ten. Fortunately, the CFP and Daniel Capron's crew got both eye tests right. 3 0-0

10 Wisconsin Schedule strength was not Wisconsin's problem. The Badgers played six teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of kickoff. They split those six games. The last one against Penn State cost Wisco a possible playoff slot. 3 0-0

11 West Virginia Fifteen teams so far have double digit wins. The Mountaineers are one of them. Dana Holgorsen should be somebody's Big 12 coach of the year. He's already earned a five-year extension after a marvelous 10-2 season. 2 1-0

12 South Florida Quinton Flowers is the poor man's Lamar Jackson. Willie Taggart may be a rich man if he gets the Oregon job. 3 1-1

13 Colorado Remember the Alamo (Bowl berth). The best CU season in 15 years will end with a meeting against old Big 12 foe Oklahoma State. 5 0-0

14 Stanford The Sun Bowl (vs. North Carolina) might be the most misleading name of a postseason game. The average temperature in El Paso on Dec. 30 is 56 degrees. -- 0-0

15 Pittsburgh Call 'em the Bipolar Panthers. Pittsburgh went 3-2 against currently ranked teams -- beating No. 5 Penn State and No. 3 Clemson -- but went 5-2 against everyone else. 8 2-0

16 Florida State Jimbo Fisher has the nucleus of a team that should be favored to win the ACC next season. Of course, that's what a lot of folks thought about this season. -- 0-1

17 Temple Matt Ruhle needs to get out of Temple, now. No disrespect, but the Owls may never win 20 games over two seasons -- including a conference title -- again. 7 0-0

18 Houston Through an up and down season, Houston ended up the way most people thought it would -- without Tom Herman. Lane Kiffin and Les Miles are expected to interview for the opening this week. 1 0-0

19 Oklahoma State It was all right there for Mike Gundy and the Cowboys tied 17-17 near the end of the first half in Bedlam. Then Oklahoma scored 28 of the next 31 points. Cowboys still have one outright conference title since 1948. 7 1-0

20 LSU Should Leonard Fournette have skipped the season to get ready for the NFL? A case can be made. The tailback still would have lost the coach who recruited him (Les Miles) and gone through a roller-coaster season -- without the injuries. 1 0-0

21 Virginia Tech The Hokies threw more than a scare into Clemson in the ACC title game. Justin Fuente had a wonderful rookie season in Blacksburg, winning the division and five of his last seven. 1 0-0

22 Louisville Anybody else noticing the ACC is about to win two Heismans in four years for the first time? Lamar Jackson and his 51 touchdowns are lugged to New York this week for the official announcement. -- 1-1

23 Navy One of Ken Nuimatalolo's best coaching jobs. The Midshipmen won nine and played for the AAC title in their first conference season in 135 years. 5 1-1

24 Georgia Tech Paul Johnson loves shoving it up people's you-know-whats. The Jackets' coach (supposedly) started the season on the hot seat, then beat Virginia Tech and Georgia on his way to an eight-win season. NR 1-1