Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson Look Playoff-Ready, but Who Else Is in the Mix?

Week 9 of the 2020 college football season was a sobering reminder that three teams—Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson—are playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.

Saturday began with AP No. 1 Clemson getting punched in the mouth before responding with a few haymakers of its own.

Every break went Boston College's way in the first half, including a fumble returned for a 97-yard touchdown, an interception overturned on a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty, Clemson jumping offside on a tricky play on 4th-and-2 and a CJ Lewis touchdown reception that should be turned into a painting and hung in the Louvre. Late in the second quarter, the Eagles led 28-10.

Yet it never seemed like Clemson—even without all-world quarterback Trevor Lawrence—was out of it.

Yes, BC was ahead by three scores, but it still weirdly felt like the Tigers were in control. True freshman QB D.J. Uiagalelei showed incredible talent and poise, throwing for 342 yards and accounting for three total touchdowns in his first start while leading the Tigers back from the brink of what might have been a College Football Playoff bid-crippling loss. (Looks like Clemson is all set at quarterback through at least 2022.)

It helps that the Tigers defense finally woke up, too, shutting out Boston College in the second half of the 34-28 victory.

If you're worried about Clemson in the aftermath of that result—on top of last week's game against Syracuse that was a little too close for comfort midway through the third quarter—don't be. Between finding out on Thursday that Lawrence would be unavailable for this game and the temptation to peek ahead to next week's humongous trip to Notre Dame, this one had "trap game" written all over it. The Tigers slipped into that trap early on, but the second-half comeback says more about this team than that occasionally lethargic and strangely unlucky first half.

During the evening slate, it was time for the other two title favorites to flex their muscles.

Barry Reeger/Associated Press

Alabama pummeled Mississippi State as a gift for Nick Saban's 69th birthday. The Bulldogs only managed one first down in the entire first half. They only took one snap in the red zone in the entire game, and it resulted in an interception.

Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith outgained MSU by his damn self. The Crimson Tide wide receiver hauled in 11 receptions for 203 yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldogs had 200 yards of total offense. At some point, Alabama will need to figure out what else it has in the receiving game sans Jaylen Waddle, but this was a classic "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" game for a guy who couldn't be covered.

While that blowout was transpiring, Ohio State took care of business at Penn State.

It certainly wasn't a normal game in State College. In any other year, the raucous White Out might have been a major factor for the home team. Playing in front of a bare-bones audience because of COVID-19 restrictions, though, the Buckeyes had a rare easy night in Happy Valley, winning 38-25.

And, really, it wasn't even that close.

Ohio State scored two touchdowns in the first seven minutes and was up 21-6 at halftime. The Buckeyes nearly quadrupled Penn State in total yards in the first half (280 to 75). And half of PSU's early points were only made possible when OSU quarterback Justin Fields accidentally took a knee on fourth down with a second remaining before halftime. It took some immaculate second-half receptions by Penn State's Jahan Dotson just to make things semicompetitive.

As we enter November, it feels like that triumvirate is a near lock for the College Football Playoff.

Anything could happen in the Big Ten or SEC championship to throw a wrench into things, but it would be a substantial surprise if either Ohio State or Alabama entered Dec. 19 with anything other than a zero in the loss column. And even if Clemson loses at Notre Dame next week without Lawrence, do you honestly believe the Tigers will lose again before or during the ACC championship? Didn't think so.

The big unknown, though, is who the heck ends up with the No. 4 seed?

Gary Landers/Associated Press

With No. 6 Oklahoma State losing to Texas on Saturday, the Big 12 is donezo. It has no more undefeated teams, and the Cowboys are the only one-loss team left at this point. Even if they rally from this loss and win every remaining game to finish 10-1, that resume will be lacking. But we likely don't even need to worry about that scenario anyway, because four of Oklahoma State's five remaining games are on the road.

No. 4 Notre Dame has played quite well lately, but it has at least one game—probably two games—remaining against Clemson. That doesn't bode well.

No. 5 Georgia already lost to Alabama. It would need to avenge that loss against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. And the Bulldogs offense looked quite hapless in a 14-3 victory over Kentucky on Saturday.

If Georgia loses to No. 10 Florida next week and it is instead the Gators representing the East in the SEC title game, that defense might not even be capable of forcing a single punt against the Crimson Tide.

No. 7 Cincinnati isn't a Power Five team, which has been an insurmountable hurdle with the CFP selection committee in recent years.

No. 8 Texas A&M won't even get to play for the SEC championship unless Alabama inexplicably loses at least two of its remaining four games.

No. 9 Wisconsin canceled a game this week due to a COVID-19 outbreak, might not be able to play next week either and didn't have a particularly impressive schedule in the first place.

So, again, who the heck ends up with the No. 4 seed? Because we do need a fourth team, even if it has about a 0.1 percent chance of winning the title.

It's unorthodox, but Cincinnati seems to be the most deserving.

The Bearcats blew out SMU 42-13 in Week 8 and came right back with a 49-10 victory over Memphis on Saturday. Those are two of the better offenses in the nation, but this Bearcats defense made them look helpless. QB Desmond Ridder might be a late crasher to the Heisman party. He has nine total touchdowns (five rushing, four passing) over the past two weeks while leading this suddenly potent offense to dominant victories.

The forgotten fly in the ointment is the Pac-12, which will finally start playing next Saturday.

The idea of a Pac-12 team making the College Football Playoff after a seven-game season once seemed laughable, but now it might be the most logical outcome. However, if the Pac-12 is unable to produce an undefeated champion (preferably Oregon or USC) while Cincinnati does run the table, let's all start hoping the selection committee does the right thing by awarding the Bearcats the No. 4 seed.