When the College Football Playoff selection committee met last week, chairman Gary Barta said there was a "great discussion" about whether Ohio State should keep the fourth spot, or whether No. 5 Texas A&M earned it.
When the committee compared those two teams side by side on the giant screens in the room, Barta said, "there just wasn't enough there to put Texas A&M ahead of Ohio State."
With both of those teams winning decisively on Saturday, did anything change that perspective?
Maybe not this week, but as long as Ohio State's regular-season finale against Michigan remains a question, so does the No. 4 spot. The one thing we do know is BYU is officially out of the playoff conversation following its loss at No. 18 Coastal Carolina. While the top four remained the same in each of the past two CFP rankings, the conference championship games can -- and usually do -- change the picture.
"If a team does or doesn't play in a conference championship, that certainly is one less criteria we can evaluate," Barta said. "It's not the only one, but one less we have available to us."
That will apply to Texas A&M, and it could also apply to Ohio State. Here's a closer look at how the committee has been evaluating these contenders, and how their performances on Saturday might ultimately sway the votes on Dec. 20.
No. 1 Alabama
Committee's comments: "Some people might think that [the Crimson Tide is a lock at No. 1] because of Alabama's 8-0 record, wins over two top-10 teams, scoring 50 points a game, all those are accurate," Barta said last week. "Alabama is a heck of a football team. But we still talk about it, we still break it down. ... It's not like it was a foregone conclusion that 1, 2, 3 were going to stay where they were a week ago. ... We still spent a lot of time there even though people might assume we just kind of move on."
Saturday statement: The committee should move on -- it's clear who's No. 1. Alabama locked up the SEC West with its win against LSU and will face Florida in the SEC title game.
Looking ahead: If Florida beats Alabama to win the SEC title, it's hard to imagine the committee leaving the Tide out after they had been its No. 1 team all season. The question is if Alabama would drop as low as No. 4 with a loss (how far the Tide fell would depend in part on how they played in the game and how close it was), and what happens in the ACC championship game. It's possible the SEC could hold the top two spots if Florida wins a close game.
No. 2 Notre Dame
Committee's comments: Barta said the committee liked Notre Dame's two wins against ranked opponents, including "a good showing against No. 17 North Carolina" last week.
Saturday statement: The Irish finished the regular season a perfect 10-0 and will have a week off before facing Clemson in the ACC championship game. Notre Dame got off to a slow start against Syracuse, but left no doubt in the end it was the better team. Quarterback Ian Book threw one interception but more than made up for it with five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).
Looking ahead: By playing a perfect season, Notre Dame gave itself a cushion to lose to Clemson in the ACC championship and still have a chance to finish in the top four as a one-loss runner-up. If Notre Dame beats Clemson a second time -- especially with Trevor Lawrence back in the lineup -- it would be hard for the committee to make a case for the two-loss Tigers. That scenario could help other teams like A&M sneak in -- and/or help the Buckeyes cement a spot if they don't have a Big Ten title.
No. 3 Clemson
Committee's comments: Barta called Clemson "another powerful team" and said the committee took into consideration Lawrence's absence from the Tigers' double-overtime loss at Notre Dame. Barta said that with Lawrence's leadership, "the team continued to impress" the committee.
Saturday statement: It wasn't without a few snafus -- including a Lawrence pick in the end zone -- but Clemson ultimately asserted itself against an overmatched Virginia Tech team that played as if it heard all week it was going to lose by three touchdowns. Clemson should feel secure in the No. 3 spot this week, but the ACC championship game against Notre Dame will make or break the Tigers' playoff hopes.
Looking ahead: Clemson won't make up its game against Florida State, and will have the week off to prepare for Notre Dame in the ACC championship game. A Clemson win would put the ACC in position to have both teams finish in the top four. It's possible they would just flip-flop in the final ranking, with Clemson jumping to No. 2 behind the SEC winner.
No. 4 Ohio State
Committee's comments: The Buckeyes didn't even play last week after their game against Illinois was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Ohio State program, but their Nov. 21 win against Indiana left a lasting impression. "The firepower and the explosiveness of Justin Fields and Master Teague and Garrett Wilson, all those offensive weapons, the fact that they did beat the No. 12 team the last time they played," Barta said. "It was discussed that they played four and Texas A&M has played seven. That certainly was discussed."
Saturday statement: While the number of games will ultimately matter, Ohio State took an important step toward cementing its semifinal spot. The Buckeyes were missing their head coach, 23 players -- including three starting offensive linemen -- and starting linebacker Tuf Borland, a three-year captain. It didn't matter. The Buckeyes rolled over Michigan State 52-12. Yes, the Spartans are a dreadful team this year, but Ohio State's win spoke volumes about its depth and resiliency. Quarterback Fields compensated for his three uncharacteristic turnovers against the Hoosiers and reminded everyone why he's a Heisman hopeful, accounting for 303 total yards. Fields was responsible for four total touchdowns (two rushing, two passing).
Looking ahead: Ohio State needs to play Michigan to meet the Big Ten's six-game benchmark to be eligible for the conference title game. If the Wolverines cannot play because of COVID-19 issues within their program (the earliest they could return to practice is Monday), Ohio State could possibly find another Big Ten opponent if somebody else has a game canceled and the two teams agree to play by 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday. A 7-0 Ohio State team that wins the Big Ten is almost a lock for that fourth spot. A 6-0 team without a title is up for debate.
No. 5 Texas A&M
Committee's comments: The committee is impressed by the Aggies' defense, but it "does continue to keep an eye on Texas A&M's offense," Barta said.
Saturday statement: The Aggies' offense woke up in an important win at Auburn -- what should be their most difficult remaining game of the season. Texas A&M had a season-high 313 rushing yards, outscored Auburn 17-0 in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Kellen Mond was responsible for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). The Aggies now have won six straight games since losing Oct. 3 at Alabama, and this performance should only increase the heat on the Buckeyes if they don't have an opportunity to win a Big Ten title.
Looking ahead: With no chance to win the West or the SEC, Texas A&M can't do anything else but finish the season in dominating fashion. ESPN's Football Power Index gives Texas A&M at least a 78% chance to win each of its two remaining games, against Ole Miss and at Tennessee. The best-case scenario would be for Alabama to beat Florida, and Notre Dame to beat Clemson. Then the Aggies have a chance at finishing in the top four with Ohio State instead of getting into a close debate against the Buckeyes.
No. 6 Florida
Committee's comments: Last week, the Texas A&M win over Florida continued to resonate, which is why Texas A&M remained ahead of the Gators, but Barta said "there was a lot of back and forth" about it. "At the end of the day, Texas A&M, with all those other criteria, Texas A&M did beat Florida," Barta said on Tuesday. "That ends up tipping it over to Texas A&M's side."
Saturday's answer: At some point, the head-to-head can be overruled by other factors, and Florida's clinching the SEC East title with its win against Tennessee could be one of them. If nothing else, it should be a good discussion because both the Gators' and Aggies' offenses fared so well on the same day. The connection between Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts continued, as Trask threw for 433 yards and four touchdowns, and Pitts had seven catches for 128 yards.
Looking ahead: It's pretty straightforward for Florida. Win the SEC and the Gators are in. Lose to Alabama and the second loss probably keeps them out.
No. 7 Cincinnati
Committee's comments: Because Cincinnati's Nov. 28 game at Temple was canceled, and the Bearcats don't play again until next Saturday at Tulsa, there wasn't any discussion about them following the second ranking. On Nov. 24, though, after the first ranking, Barta noted that Cincinnati was "4-0 against .500 teams and had quality wins as recently as this past weekend against Central Florida but also earlier against SMU. And Cincinnati is in the top 20 both in scoring offense and scoring defense."
Looking ahead: Cincinnati and Tulsa both clinched spots in the AAC championship game and will play each other twice -- first on Dec. 12 at Tulsa to end the regular season, and then for the conference title. It's a double-edged sword for the Bearcats, because it's back-to-back opportunities to impress the committee, but it's also obviously extremely difficult to beat the same team twice -- let alone in consecutive weeks. To earn true consideration for a top-four finish, Cincinnati has to finish as an undefeated conference champion, but it also needs multiple Power 5 losses above. It was a huge setback that Texas A&M won at Auburn.