1 Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa’s injury is just a part of football. Many want to assign blame for the devastating hip injury that ended Tagovailoa’s season and possibly his college career, but the risk of injury is part of the game. To say it’s Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban’s fault assumes anyone could have predicted when the injury might happen and overshadows Tagovailoa’s amazing career.

2 The playoff committee won’t overlook Alabama despite Tagovailoa injury. Alabama began the weekend No. 5 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and some believe Tagovailoa’s injury would prevent the Tide from making the semifinals. But history shows that’s not always the case, with the committee giving Ohio State a playoff spot in 2014 despite losing starter J.T. Barrett late in the season.

3 Oklahoma continues November dominance. It wasn’t easy, but the Sooners found a way to overcome an early 25-point deficit during a 34-31 road win over Baylor, extending a streak of 19 straight wins in November. The victory keeps Oklahoma’s hopes of returning to the CFP semifinals alive for another week.

4 LSU has the offense to win a title, but what about the defense? LSU accounted for a season-high 714 yards during its win over Mississippi, but it was the Tigers’ defense that drew criticism after allowing a season-high 614 yards to the Rebels. It’s the third time this season LSU has allowed 500-plus yards, which could be a concern during the postseason.

5 Georgia proves it deserves to be a playoff contender. The playoff committee cited quality wins over Florida and Notre Dame after ranking Georgia at No. 4, and the Bulldogs rewarded that decision by hanging on to knock off No. 12 Auburn on the road. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s hard to argue against a team with three wins over ranked opponents and an SEC East title.

6 Keep an eye on the Pac-12 race. Despite being written off early in the season, the Pac-12 could be a factor in the playoff race. Oregon and Utah are on a collision course to meet in the conference-title game, with the winner likely competing with a fellow one-loss Big 12 champion and one-loss Alabama for semifinal consideration.

7 Iowa is where playoff hopes die. Minnesota took its perfect 9-0 record into Kinnick Stadium and left with its first loss of the season after falling 23-19. The Hawkeyes have a history of playing the spoiler at home, including beating then-No. 3 Ohio State in 2017 and then-No. 2 Michigan in 2016, denying both a playoff spot.

8 Michigan is trending up at the right time. It’s been a roller-coaster type of season as Michigan struggled early on offensive, but things are looking up for the Wolverines. They have put together a three-game win streak thanks to an improved passing attack that’s accounted for eight TD passes and no pick, all before facing Ohio State in two weeks.

9 Nebraska remains committed to Scott Frost. Renovation projects are never easy, which is probably why Nebraska AD Bill Moos gave Scott Frost a two-year contract extension even though the Huskers are 8-14 under the second-year coach. Nebraska started as a preseason top-25 program, but the team will need to win its final two games to avoid missing a bowl game for the third consecutive year.

10 Louisville’s Scott Satterfield deserves coach-of-the-year consideration. The former Appalachian State coach inherited a terrible situation at Louisville, a program that was coming off a two-win season — its worst in more than two decades. But a year later, the Cardinals are trending in the right direction after becoming bowl-eligible with their sixth win of the season.