The playoff race cleared up pretty quickly. There is still plenty of time for things to get messy.
The first Saturday after the College Football Playoff rankings debuted separated some of the contenders from pretenders and provided a distinct pecking order for the teams vying to play for the national championship.
Clemson (9-0), which was tops in the first playoff rankings, cleared its toughest remaining hurdle by beating Florida State 23-13. The Tigers clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and now have the smoothest road to the playoff.
Alabama (8-1) crushed LSU 30-16 and got some help from Arkansas to regain control of the SEC West.