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Five questions

Q. Can any team beat Alabama?

It can be argued that the best three offensive players in the country – Mac Jones, Najee Harris and Devonta Smith -- reside on the Crimson Tide’s roster. Saturday’s rout at LSU was more of what we have seen all season from Nick Saban’s crew: 650 yards of offense, the most points ever in the series (55) and more dazzling performances by Alabama’s Big Three.

Florida will be the next “threat” in the SEC championship game, but the Gators’ anemic running game and suspect defense are glaring weaknesses that an Alabama opponent can’t have, even if its starting quarterback is Kyle Trask.

As for future playoff opponents, Clemson looks good but not great this season. There’s a spark missing with the Tigers. Ohio State’s defense, especially against the pass, is a flaw that a good passing team can easily exploit. Notre Dame is solid overall but there’s some question about whether the Irish’s offense will be able to keep pace with Alabama if the two meet.

So the short answer is no. In a very strange season, everything is as it usually is in Tuscaloosa.

Q. Which league is potentially headed for a more controversial conference championship game situation – the Pac-12 or the Mountain West?

Two teams remain unbeaten in the Pac-12 following USC’s Sunday night victory over Washington State – the Trojans and Colorado. Both reside in the South Division. USC is 4-0 in league play with UCLA left. The Buffs are 3-0 in conference play with Utah remaining because a game against winless Arizona State was canceled due to COVID-19. But USC and Colorado won’t play this year, so if both win out, USC, at 5-0 in the league, heads to the league championship game because 4-0 Colorado lost a game against a winless opponent that was going through a virus outbreak.

Had the Pac-12 gone to one division, as the ACC did, the title game could be a battle of two potential unbeatens. In a shortened season, with just five league games scheduled, that was the logical move. But the Pac-12 marches to the beat of its own dysfunctional drummer. So it may wind up excluding an unbeaten team from its league championship game.

Kudos, Larry Scott.

In the Mountain West, which did go to one division, COVID-19 has played a role in the title game scenario, with the league announcing that the two teams with the highest winning percentages will meet in the MWC title game.

As things stand now in league play, San Jose is 5-0, Boise is 4-0 and Nevada is 6-1. San Jose will travel to Nevada on Friday – the second straight scheduled home game the Spartans have had to move because of COVID-19 restrictions in California. If Boise beats 2-3 Wyoming to finish the season the Broncos are in the title game and will face the San Jose-Nevada winner.

Here’s the problem: Boise had its game with San Jose canceled and does not play Nevada. So the Broncos basically get a free pass into the league title game because they did not have to play the MWC’s two other best teams.

They will have beaten 1-5 Utah State, 3-2 Air Force, 1-3 Colorado State, 3-4 Hawaii and 2-3 Wyoming to “earn” their title game slot.

And MWC folks wonder why most college football fans don’t take the league seriously anymore.

Q. Is Notre Dame in the playoffs regardless of how the Irish fare against Clemson in the ACC title game?

Barring a Florida upset of Alabama – relax ND fans, it’s not happening – the Irish appear to have done enough to lock up a playoff berth even with an ACC championship game loss. The exception would be if Clemson runs all over Notre Dame in a ridiculously-lopsided rout. The game won’t be at home and the Tigers will have QB Trevor Lawrence back – which was not the case in Notre Dame’s 47-40 double OT victory over Clemson this season – but Brian Kelly’s team looks to have found its stride. Hard to see the Irish getting blown out by a Clemson team that has been anything but dazzling for most of this season.

Anyway, which team would jump the Irish if they stumble? A one-loss Texas A&M or unbeaten Cincinnati? Possible, but not likely.

Q. If Michigan can’t play Saturday will Ohio State have done enough to make the playoffs?

The Wolverines had to cancel last week’s game with Maryland due to COVID-19 issues and there’s no official word yet whether they will be able to make the trip to Columbus this weekend. If that game can’t be played it would leave the Buckeyes at 5-0 heading into the Big Ten championship game. They have a quality win over Indiana, though it was shaky, and the four other teams they have defeated are a combined 8-18. A win over Northwestern in the Big Ten title game would probably be enough, but there is certainly room for debate if the Michigan game is not played.

If the Michigan game is played and the Buckeyes win it and then capture the Big Ten title to finish 7-0 there’s little doubt that Ohio State is in.

Q. Are we ready for two straight weekends of Tulsa-Cincinnati?

The 8-0 Bearcats play the 6-1 Golden Hurricane for the first time on Saturday, then meet in the AAC championship game a week later at the winner’s stadium. Don’t be surprised if they are two entirely different games, since Cincy has not played since Nov. 21 while Tulsa comes off a 19-6 victory at Navy.

The Bearcats need to sweep to stay in the playoff conversation but it’s hard to see the second meeting – especially if it’s in Cincinnati – doing much to enhance their playoff credentials.

This is certainly not the ending the AAC would like to see to its season, with its two best teams playing before they meet for the league title, but Saturday’s game is a makeup of the originally scheduled game on Oct. 17 that was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

Memo to commissioner Mike Aresco: No cheering in the pressbox, even if the league’s only chance to earn a playoff spot rest with Cincinnati winning both games.

On the Rise

Coastal Carolina (10-0)

The 22-17 victory over previously-unbeaten and No. 8-ranked BYU was impressive because of the way the Chanticleers bullied the Cougars all game on both sides of the ball, despite a significant size disadvantage. Remember: Coastal was picked to finish last in its division in the Sun Belt – by the league coaches.

Iowa State (5-2)

Cyclones have won five straight since their only league loss at Oklahoma State – they’d like a do over of that one, no doubt – and set a school record with their eighth conference win in a 42-6 rout of West Virginia. They will head into the Big 12 title game having won five straight, the last three by a combined 110-26.

Akron (1-4) and New Mexico (1-5)

A little love here for the previously-hapless. The Zips ended a 21-game losing streak and gave coach Tom Arth his first win after an 0-16 start with a 31-3 rout of Bowling Green. New Mexico snapped its 14-game losing streak and 20-game conference losing streak with a 17-16 victory over Wyoming. Enjoy it, fellas. You have waited long enough.

On the decline

Navy (3-6)

What has happened to the Midshipmen’s offense? Navy managed just 153 yards in a 19-6 home loss to Tulsa, its fourth straight defeat since a 3-2 start and first loss in a home finale since 2002. But it all gets forgotten if the Midshipmen beat Army on Saturday.

Virginia Tech (4-6)

Saturday’s 45-10 loss to Clemson means the Hokies’ nation-leading streak of 27 straight bowl games will come to an end with the program’s first losing season since 1992. With only Virginia left, head coach Justin Fuente, in Year 5, is a combined 18-18 the past three seasons.

Duke (2-8)

Blue Devils suffered their first shutout loss in 12 years on Saturday against Miami, having beaten only 1-10 Syracuse and 2-4 Charlotte this year. With hoops in full swing in Durham will anyone even notice the football team finishes this dismal season against Florida State? Did they even notice before this?

Who’s hot

DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

His fourth career 200-yard receiving game – 8 catches for 231 yards and three TDs – featured a spectacular end zone grab that merits a place in Alabama’s all-time highlights. Just give him the Bilenikoff Award already.

Jarek Broussard, RB, Colorado

After redshirting in 2018 and missing all of last season due to an injury, the Buffs’ 5-8 redshirt sophomore has exploded onto the national scene, rushing for 310 yards on 25 carries in the win over Arizona. He has 733 rushing yards in Colorado’s four games so far.

Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State

The 6-2, 190-pounder set an FBS record for a freshman with 310 receiving yards (on nine catches) in a 48-15 rout of Louisiana-Monroe. He also tied a school record with four touchdown catches.

Who’s not

Paul Boudreaux, LS, Louisiana

Long snappers generally don’t get any attention, but Boudreaux couldn’t avoid it with four errant snaps that the Rajin’ Cajuns had to overcome in a 24-21 victory over Appalachian State. He sailed three snaps over punter Rhys Birns’ head – one resulting in a 38-yard loss, another in a safety – and his high snap on a PAT contributed to a missed extra point.

Florida’s running game

Seriously, this has to be a major concern for the Gators. It’s not even close to being championship quality. Florida rushed for 19 yards on 17 carries in its 31-19 victory over Tennessee, with 17 of those rushing yards coming from wide receiver Jacob Copeland. Through the opening 30 minutes against the Vols the Gators had one yard rushing, They can’t close out games because of this anemic running game.

Grant Wells, QB, Marshall

The redshirt freshman could not have picked a worse time to unravel, costing the Thundering Herd an unbeaten season with five interceptions in a 20-0 home loss to Rice. Wells had been picked off just four times during Marshall’s 7-0 start. One on Saturday against Rice went for a pick six.

Playing it forward

Previewing the top games coming up this weekend (All times Eastern)

FRIDAY

San Jose State at Nevada, 10 p.m. CBSSN

The 5-0 Spartans, off to their best start since 1939, lost this as a home game due to COVID-19 restrictions in California and now have to play at 6-1 Nevada. The winner will head to the MWC championship game.

SATURDAY

Michigan at Ohio State, Noon, Fox

Buckeyes need to play this and win it to stay on course for a playoff berth. Michigan will look not to get completely embarrassed (but will) by its rival.

North Carolina at Miami, 3:30 p.m., ABC,

It won’t impact the ACC standings but it has the potential to be a fun game to watch with two offenses that have shown the ability to be entertaining.

Navy at Army, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Just because it's Army-Navy. The 121st meeting between the academies has been moved to Michie Stadium in West Point after originally being scheduled for Philadelphia. It's the first time since 1943 that the game will be played at Army's stadium.

Cincinnati at Tulsa, 4 p.m., ESPN2

The first of two straight meetings between the AAC’s best team, with the next one coming in the league championship game. Both are ranked, with Cincy coming in at 8-0 and Tulsa at 6-1.

Tom Luicci was the national college football and basketball writer for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. from 1979-2014.