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ESPN Senior Writer- College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
With the first College Football Playoff rankings out, the postseason picture is a bit clearer, at least for the time being.
Despite its early-season loss to Texas, Alabama is still in the picture, checking in at No. 8, but the Tide have virtually no margin for error. That makes Saturday night's home game against surging LSU critical for Nick Saban and his team.
Washington was the only Power 5 unbeaten left out of the top four, and with its shaky performances the past couple of weeks, it's fair to wonder how long its record will remain unblemished.
Speaking of unbeaten teams dealing with issues, Michigan returns to the field after a bye week with a sign-stealing scandal hanging over its head. Can the Wolverines block out the distractions?
ESPN insiders Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg break down these topics and more, including the team outside the CFP top eight that could still make some noise and their upset picks for Week 10.
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LSU's approach vs. Bama
Jalen Milroe's progression
Next unbeaten to fall
CFP sleepers
Michigan's mindset
Upset picks | Emptying the notebook
