Mandel's Top 10: Are Clemson's days at No. 1 numbered?

By Stewart Mandel
Published

As I wrote Saturday night, the playoff field may well set itself next week. The only real decisions I had to make with this week's Top 10 came in the bottom half. The top five all control their destinies (and one just sealed theirs.)

1. Clemson (12-0): Rival South Carolina gave the Tigers a fight, but the final outcome never felt in question. All credit to Dabo Swinney's team for pulling off an undefeated regular season and beating two 10-win Power 5 teams.

2. Alabama (11-1): Alabama rode Derrick Henry against Auburn, but QB Jake Coker is quietly emerging as another solid Nick Saban quarterback. His scramble and 34-yard TD pass broke open Saturday's game.

3. Oklahoma (11-1): It's fortunate that Oklahoma's next game is not for another month, because no one would want to play the Sooners right now. RBs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon shredded Oklahoma State in a 58-23 rout. 

4. Michigan State (11-1): With Connor Cook back, the Spartans scored 27 points off four Penn State turnovers in a 55-16 blowout. It marked their eighth win over a bowl-eligible team, including three with nine wins or more. 

5. Iowa (12-0): No, they did not play the world's toughest schedule -- just four bowl-eligible teams -- but give the Hawkeyes their due. They not only won every game but barely got a scare over the second half of the year. 

6. Ohio State (11-1): It took 12 games, but the Buckeyes finally figured out their offense in Saturday's beatdown of Michigan. Ohio State still has top-four talent but it finished the regular season with just one Top 25 win.

7. Stanford (10-2). The Cardinal posted their biggest win of the season Saturday night against Notre Dame. Beat USC for a second time next week and David Shaw's team will finish no worse than the Rose Bowl.

8. North Carolina (11-1): The Tar Heels scored 35 points in the first quarter against NC State. This team can absolutely beat Clemson, but right now it still lacks a Top 25 win.

9. Notre Dame (10-2): Brian Kelly's team suffered its second heartbreaking loss to a Top 10 team, this one on a walk-off field goal. The Irish, which overcame a rash of injuries, proved themselves a Top 10-caliber team.

10. TCU (10-2). Even more decimated than the Irish, Trevone Boykin and the Frogs found a way to win an unexpected defensive struggle in double overtime against Baylor. This a week after nearly upsetting Oklahoma.

Stewart Mandel is a senior college sports columnist for FOXSports.com. He covered college football and basketball for 15 years at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @slmandel and Facebook. Send emails and Mailbag questions to Stewart.Mandel@fox.com.