Usually, by the time October arrives we have a pretty good idea how the race for the College Football Playoff is taking shape. As we all know, of course, there is nothing usual about 2020. So it is that as the calendar turns, many of the projected contenders have taken the field just once or maybe twice, and some will not do so for several weeks.
We should know a bit more after this weekend, however, as the heat gets turned up in the SEC, the No. 1 team returns to action, and the Big 12 favorites try to stay alive.