A two-loss team has yet to finish in the top four of the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame has yet to take the place of a Power 5 champ. Alabama has yet to miss the playoff.
"Every year is different in terms of what the dynamics will be and how the season will play out," said former selection committee member and coach Tyrone Willingham. "There will be an issue they will be looking at next year that will be totally different from what you've had to deal with in the four previous years."
As the season unfolds, so do the storylines, but with spring practice upon us, the work to finish in the top four officially begins.