Source: aseaofblue.com / All eyes were on Tuscaloosa this past Saturday, where LSU downed Alabama 46-41. There are two newcomers to the top 4, and plenty of movement throughout the top 25 after a busy wknd of NCAA football action.

Welcome back college football fans! We had the game of the year in Tuscaloosa where we had two #1s (Bama in the coaches' poll & LSU in the AP poll) square off for SEC West & NCAA football supremacy. The game did not disappoint, and provided several thrills and surprises. Maybe the biggest surprise of all was the 33-13 halftime score in favor of LSU after the Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 26 seconds of the first half.

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QB Joe Burrow was absolutely outstanding for the Tigers, completing 31 of 39 passes (79.4%) for nearly 400 yards and 3 scores and added another 64 on the ground. Anyone who somehow didn't have Burrow atop their Heisman list heading into this one, surely has him on top after the impeccable performance he turned in against the Tide. It wasn't just Burrow, as HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 103 yards and 3 scores and also caught 9 passes for 77 yards and another score.

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This would have been a 2-TD final score if it wasn't for a mind-boggling defensive call by LSU with under 2 minutes to play. After Edwards-Helaire scored his third rushing TD with just 1:37 to play to put LSU up 46-34 and seemingly put the game away, the Tigers opted to play one-on-one bump coverage on the outside instead of sitting back in a zone. Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa immediately hit talented WR DeVonta Smith up the left sideline for an 85-yard TD that gave Bama a last gasp chance to get back in it. It was maybe the dumbest defensive call I've seen all season long, but LSU recovered the ensuing onside kick to preserve the program's biggest victory in 8 years.

Source: theadvertiser.com / QB Joe Burrow looked cool and collected as he surgically took apart Alabama's defense, leading the Tigers to their biggest win in nearly a decade.

So what does it all mean for the NCAA football landscape and College Football Playoff? Let's start with LSU. The Tigers have now firmly cemented their resume, and nobody has come close to the kind of overall resume LSU has already turned in this season. There aren't enough games left to be played for anyone else to match the Tigers' impressive resume. Victories over Auburn, Florida, and @ Alabama, along with a road non-conference win @ Texas, means I believe LSU is in no matter what happens the rest of the way. A 1-loss LSU still gets in because of the overall impressive resume.

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What about Bama? Well, with only one "quality" victory to date (@ 6-3 Texas A&M), 0 wins against the CFP top 25, and virtually no chance to reach the SEC Title game, they need a TON of help. The Crimson Tide are still one of the nation's top 4-6 teams at the moment, but they will fall behind a 1-loss Power 5 Conference Champion. The regular-season closing game with rival Auburn is now even bigger than normal. The Tide need to win, but look impressive in doing so, if they have any chance of jumping into the final top 4. That being said, a Clemson upset loss at some point would open the door for Bama due to how bad the ACC is this year. Another loss by Georgia is also needed, and another loss by Oregon surely wouldn't hurt. It's possible, but it is going to be difficult for the Tide to get into the playoff without tons of outside help.

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Don't get me wrong, Alabama is still one of the elite offensive teams in the country. With Tua at QB, Najee Harris at HB, and a very talented WR corps led by standouts Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith, the star power is certainly there. Defensively though this just isn't the same Alabama team we have been accustomed to seeing over recent years. The loss drops Bama 4 spots to #6 this week, just behind Georgia & Oregon.

Source: roarlionsroar.com / Antoine Winfield Jr. (2 INTs) & the Gophers came out ready to go, jumping on the Nittany Lions early behind an aggressive defense.

Believe-it-or-not there were other games this past Saturday, and some huge ones at that. Our next stop is Minneapolis - where Minnesota had their biggest game since the 1960s, as undefeated and #4-ranked Penn State came to town. The Gophers jumped all over the Nittany Lions, racing out to a 24-10 lead, before getting an interception in the end zone to hang-on and preserve a 31-26 victory. P.J. Fleck's crew keeps rowing along, and jump six spots this week and into the top 10, landing at #7.

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The road doesn't get any easier for the Golden Gophers as they now have to go to Kinnick Stadium to take on a physical Iowa team. They close with Northwestern & rival Wisconsin. For now, the magical ride continues.

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Speaking of Iowa, they visited Madison on Saturday in the other big game from this past weekend. The #17 Hawkeyes trailed 21-6 entering the 4th quarter, but got a late 75-yard TD to get within 2 points of the Badgers. The ensuing 2-point conversion try was no good, and Wisconsin hung-on for the big-time victory. The win keeps the Badgers' Big TEN West hopes alive, but they will need Minnesota to stumble either this week at Iowa or next week at Northwestern. Wisconsin remains locked in at #14, while Iowa dropped six spots to #23.

Source: blackheartgoldpants.com / Jonathan Taylor ran for a season-high 250 yards against the Hawkeyes, leading the Badgers to a big 24-22 victory.

In other noteworthy action, we head to the Big XII for a pair of games from this past weekend. First it was unbeaten Baylor, who looked like they were done several times in a very difficult road game at TCU. The Horned Frogs looked like they were going to pull off the upset, but a 51-yard FG for Baylor as time expired in regulation tied the game at 9-9 and sent it to OT where the Bears eventually prevailed 29-23 in 3OTs. It wasn't easy, but Baylor stayed undefeated ahead of this week's monster showdown with Oklahoma. Can Baylor keep their dream season alive and make a claim for the CFP?

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Speaking of Oklahoma, the Sooners jumped out to a 35-14 halftime lead at home over Iowa State, only to have the train come off the rails down the stretch. They were thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball in the 4th quarter, and gave up a touchdown in the closing seconds. Despite dominating the last 3-4 possessions of the game, the Cyclones decided to take their chances and went for 2 and the win, but were turned away by the Sooners, giving Oklahoma a 42-41 victory. It was a win, but it wasn't a good look for the Sooners, who need to beat Baylor this coming week to get back into the CFP race. The close win keeps OU at #11 this week.

Source: desmoinesregister.com / Oklahoma was fortunate to hang-on against Iowa State. The Cyclones dominated the Sooners in the 4th quarter, outscoring them 20-0, but the Sooners turned away a late 2-pt try to preserve a 42-41 victory.

There weren't too many other significant outcomes & changes to the top 25 this past week as Ohio State absolutely crushed Maryland, 73-14, and Clemson demolished N.C. State, 55-10. The Tigers are up a spot to #3, while the Buckeyes remain firmly entrenched at #2. Penn State landed at #9 following the loss to Minnesota, and Notre Dame moved up 3 spots to #17 after smoking Duke 38-7. Boise State and Memphis both moved up and are behind the Irish at 18 and 19, respectively. Rounding out the top 20 are the Navy Midshipman, into the top 25 for the first time this season, at #20. That same Navy squad visits Notre Dame this weekend in a huge game for Navy's potential New Year's Day Bowl hopes. (For the Fighting Irish too.)

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Directly behind Navy, SMU survived a shootout with East Carolina, 59-51, to improve to 9-1 and move up 3 spots to #21 this week. The Mustangs' long-awaited return to relevance continues. The American Athletic continues to be well-represented in the top 25 and the "group of 5" representative in a New Year's Day Bowl may very well end up being the AAC Champ.

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Behind the Mustangs are former Southwest Conference rivals Texas, back into the rankings at #22 this week. The Longhorns knocked off previously #18 Kansas State, 27-24 in Austin to improve to 6-3. It was perhaps the Longhorns' biggest win of the season to this point as they look to get back on track. The loss dropped Kansas State six spots to #24 this week. With a win over Oklahoma in their back-pocket, the Wildcats are still one of the better 3-loss teams in the entire country.

Source: cornnation.com / The Indiana Hoosiers are knocking on the door of the top 25. In fact, they are ranked in the AP poll for the first time in 25 years. We will find out just how good they are this Saturday, when they visit Penn State.

Rounding out the top 25 this week are the Iowa Hawkeyes at #23 after their loss at Wisconsin, and the third and final newcomer to the rankings in Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are back into the rankings after a brief visit to the top 25 earlier in the season. However, there are several quality teams nipping right at the Cowboys just outside of the rankings. Texas A&M, Indiana (who is ranked in the AP poll for the first time in 25 years!!), Louisiana Tech, Air Force, and Appalachian State all find themselves in the "next" group of teams just outside of the top 25. We are getting closer & closer to the finish line, but there is still much to be decided. Without further ado, this week's College Football Ultimate Top 25:

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College Football Ultimate Top 25

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1 LSU (9-0)

2 OHIO STATE (9-0)

3 CLEMSON (10-0)

4 GEORGIA (8-1)

5 OREGON (8-1)

6 ALABAMA (8-1)

7 MINNESOTA (9-0)

8 UTAH (8-1)

9 PENN STATE (8-1)

10 BAYLOR (9-0)

11 OKLAHOMA (8-1)

12 FLORIDA (8-2)

13 AUBURN (7-2)

14 WISCONSIN (7-2)

15 MICHIGAN (7-2)

16 CINCINNATI (8-1)

17 NOTRE DAME (7-2)

18 BOISE STATE (8-1)

19 MEMPHIS (8-1)

20 NAVY (7-1)*

21 SMU (9-1)

22 TEXAS (6-3)*

23 IOWA (6-3)

24 KANSAS STATE (6-3)

25 OKLAHOMA STATE (6-3)*

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*-New to the rankings this week

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Dropped Out:

22 Wake Forest, 24 UCF, 25 San Diego State

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Next:

Texas A&M (6-3), Indiana (7-2), Louisiana Tech (8-1), Air Force (7-2), Appalachian State (8-1)

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This weekend is just as important as ever, with several big games in store that will continue to shape the CFP landscape. Starting in the Big TEN with a pair of early games, Indiana visits #9 Penn State and Michigan hosts in-state rival Michigan State. Alabama looks to bounce-back in SEC play with a road trip to Starksville to take on Mississippi State. Florida visits Missouri in SEC East action. Who would have thought Navy @ Notre Dame would be one of this week's marque games? But alas, it is and has potential New Year's Day Bowl implications for both teams. 7-2 Wake Forest visits #3 Clemson in ACC play and #22 Texas visits Iowa State in a tricky road game in the Big XII.

Source: cbssports.com / The Game of the Week will take place in Waco, TX, where unbeaten Baylor welcomes 1-loss Oklahoma to town in a game with massive Big XII & CFP implications.

Finally, the 3 "biggest" games feature #4 Georgia @ #13 Auburn in a huge SEC showdown, #7 Minnesota visits #23 Iowa as the Gophers look to remain unbeaten and continue their storybook season, and lastly, #11 Oklahoma visits #10 Baylor in a massive Big XII showdown. Can the Bears keep the magic going another week after their dramatic 3OT win at TCU? Be sure to check back next week for another updated top 25 as we get closer and closer to the finish line! Thank you all for the support as always, and enjoy all of the big games Saturday!