Feldman's Top 10: Alabama's playoff case keeps getting stronger

By Bruce Feldman
Published

Editor's note: Each week, Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel will break down their top 10 teams based on the most recent slate of games. Here are Feldman's rankings after Week 11:

1. Clemson (10-0): Led by Deshaun Watson, the Tigers keep rolling. They’ve beaten their last six opponents by double digits and haven’t lost to anyone.

2. Alabama (9-1): The Tide mauled another ranked opponent, destroying Mississippi State in Starkville behind nine sacks and 204 rushing yards by Derrick Henry.

3. Iowa (10-0): Beating Minnesota isn’t a great win, but the road wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin are strong and beating a 7-3 Pitt team also is solid.

4. Ohio State (10-0): The Buckeyes have excellent talent, but still haven’t played anyone very good. That’ll change next week as their schedule picks up a lot, starting with Michigan State.

5. Oklahoma State (10-0): The Cowboys had their hands full against a suspect Iowa State team on the road but escaped with a win and remain unbeaten.

6. Oklahoma (9-1):  Baker Mayfield was terrific and the Sooners earned a big road win at Baylor. They’d be a little higher but that loss to a dismal Texas team is a real bad one.

7. Notre Dame (9-1): The Irish beat a hapless Wake Forest team and it didn’t help that Temple (which had been a good win on ND’s resume) lost handily against USF.

8. Florida (9-1): The Gators handled a struggling South Carolina team after last week’s close win over Vandy.

9. Michigan State (9-1): A 24-7 win over 2-8 Maryland won’t do much for the Spartans but they can vault up the rankings with a win over Ohio State next week. Their one blemish is a one-point loss at a now 5-6 Nebraska team.

10. North Carolina (9-1): The Tar Heels blew away Miami and continue to surge although that season-opening loss to South Carolina looks brutal, but if they keep winning and can knock off Clemson in the ACC title game, they might have a shot to get in the playoff.

Bruce Feldman is a senior college football reporter and columnist for FOXSports.com and FS1. He is also a New York Times best-selling author. His new book, “The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks,” came out in October 2014. Follow him on Twitter @BruceFeldmanCFB and Facebook.