Top 10 College Football Playoff contenders after Week 9

8. Oregon

Bo Nix is putting up some really impressive numbers for Oregon and the Ducks look like an entirely different team than the one that got crushed 49-3 by Georgia in Week 1.

Still, that loss is going to be hard to overcome. If Georgia ends up 12-1 or something and Oregon is trying to leapfrog the Bulldogs for the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff, that’s going to be a tough loss to overcome.

Yet, if Georgia keeps winning, Oregon might have a shot to jump a one-loss SEC team like Tennessee based on winning the Pac-12.

Alabama would have at least two losses in that scenario and I doubt the Vols make it over Oregon after a Pac-12 title, regardless of the loss Week 1, although losses by Clemson and TCU wouldn’t hurt. I have a hard time believing Oregon would leap an undefeated Big 12 or ACC champ.

7. Alabama

It will be fascinating to see where Alabama is ranked in the first College Football Playoff rankings this week. They shouldn’t be ahead of TCU or Clemson in my mind. The Tide have a couple of solid wins such as at Texas and over Mississippi State and that’s really it.

That will change with Ole Miss and LSU looming in the race for the SEC West title. However, if Alabama wins out, it won’t miss the playoff.

But with those games and Georgia or a rematch with Tennessee (in the SEC title game), that’s easier said than done. But just like the top-six teams on this list (all unbeaten) Alabama controls its College Football Playoff destiny and doesn’t need anyone to lose to make it.