No change at the top of the Ben Ten rankings

A little more clarity for the top teams as Texas A&M went down this week. The Committee had them at No. 4, but BENched was slightly wiser and had them at seventh. So the Aggies fall out of the Ben Ten this week, as does Florida. The Top 4 remain intact, but there could certainly be some shakeups in the next few weeks. Three of the Top 4 teams face ranked rivals on the final weekend of the season. Until then, they can't get caught looking ahead.

Playoff Teams

Freshman QB Jalen Hurts was good enough in leading Bama
to a win at LSU Saturday night.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

1) Alabama
Last week: No. 1
Record: 9-0
Wins over currently ranked teams: Texas A&M, LSU
This week: vs. Mississippi State
Alabama suffocated LSU, beating the Tigers in Baton Rouge, 10-0. Bama heads home for its final three games, none bigger than the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26. You can rest assured the Crimson Tide won't overlook a Mississippi State team which just defeated Texas A&M.

2) Clemson
Last week: No. 2
Record: 9-0
Wins over currently ranked teams: Auburn, Louisville, Florida State
This week: vs. Pitt
Clemson put together its best performance against Syracuse, beating the Orange, 54-0. Deshaun Watson left late in the second quarter with a bruised shoulder, but all indications are he will be fine for the stretch run. The Tigers host Pitt this weekend. The Panthers are one of the worst passing defenses in the nation, so Watson should get a good chance to test his shoulder out plenty.

3) Michigan
Last week: No. 3
Record: 9-0
Wins over currently ranked teams: Colorado, Penn State, Wisconsin
This week: at Iowa
Like Clemson, Michigan mauled Maryland, 59-3. Here's the thing about Michigan, and I've said it numerous times, the Wolverines have been dominant. But out of their nine games, only one has been outside the state of Michigan. That game was at Rutgers, a 78-0 demolition. Big Blue has a chance to gain some style points with two road games coming up, starting this weekend at Iowa, then the closer at Ohio State.

4) Washington
Last week: No. 4
Record: 9-0
Wins over currently ranked teams: Utah
This week: vs. USC
 I could argue that Washington has done more to impress me than Michigan has, but the Huskies remain fourth for now. UW won convincingly at Cal, 66-27. Washington now has four road wins, double what Michigan has and against better competition. Two big tests face the Huskies - this weekend with College GameDay in Seattle vs. USC and in three weeks at Washington State.

Next in line

5) Louisville
Last week: No. 5
Record: 8-1
Wins over currently ranked teams: Florida State
This week: vs. Wake Forest
Louisville did to Boston College what you'd expect, and will probably do the same to the rest of its opponents. The Cardinals know they need as many style points to remain in the Playoff hunt and need a few others to lose along the way. The better they look, the harder it will be to keep them out.

6) Ohio State
Last week: No. 6
Record: 8-1
Wins over currently ranked teams: Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Nebraska
This week: at Maryland
Ohio State blasted a beat up Huskers squad, which will look great in the eyes of the Committee. It adds another data point for a ranked win and keeps the Buckeyes in line for the big showdown with Michigan. The trip to College Park shouldn't be too tall a task, considering what the Wolverines just did to the Terps.

7) Wisconsin
Last week: 8
Record: 7-2
Wins over currently ranked teams: LSU, Nebraska
This week: vs. Illinois
Wisconsin knocked off a tough Northwestern team in a lackluster game. The Badgers control the Big Ten West now thanks to Nebraska's loss. This team could give fits to either Ohio State or Michigan in the Big Ten title game, as it already has played both close this season.

8) Auburn
Last week: 10
Record: 7-2
Wins over currently ranked teams: LSU
This week: at Georgia
Auburn struggled at times with Vanderbilt, but held off the Commodores at home. The Tigers are one SEC win away from setting up the tussle in Tuscaloosa. They just have to get by rival Georgia "Between the Hedges" first.

9) Oklahoma
Last Week: NR
Record: 7-2
Wins over currently ranked teams: None
This week: vs. Baylor
The Sooners fell off the wagon early with losses to Houston and Ohio State. I'm not convinced this is a top 10 team entirely because their latest wins have come against the bottom two-thirds of the Big 12. The final three games will prove where OU stands: vs. Baylor, at West Virginia, vs. Oklahoma State.

10) Utah
Last week: NR
Record: 7-2
Wins over currently ranked teams: None
This week: at Arizona State (Thursday)
The Utes stumbled two weeks ago in a close loss to Washington, but that's been their only blemish in the past four games. Utah is the only team to slow down Washington, holding the Huskies to 24 offensive points while they average over 48 per game. Wins in their final three games puts the Utes in the Pac-12 championship game.

Dropped out: Texas A&M (7), Florida (9)

Four on the outside: Western Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M

-BtW