College Football Playoff picks after Week 4
Next week, the college football calendar flips to October -- meaning roughly a third of the season has been played, but even less has been settled.
Georgia,Alabama andOhio Statehave already separated themselves as unanimous playoff selections all four weeks.
But several teams are contending for the fourth spot.Southern Californiaand Clemson have emerged as the leaders among that group.
The Trojans struggled for most of Saturday's game at Oregon State, trailing for the first time this season. USC didn't take its first lead until early in the fourth quarter, and it took a Caleb Williams touchdown pass to Jordan Addison with 1:13 left to give the Trojans the final margin in their victory.
Clemson outlasted a Wake Forest-record six touchdown passes from Sam Hartman to beat the host Demon Deacons in double overtime, and the Tigers continue to be a factor for the playoff.
Tennessee earned its first playoff consideration of the campaign following a 38-33 win over visitingFlorida. The Vols are off to their first 4-0 start since 2016, also the last time they defeated the Gators.
Ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll, Michigan has not yet convinced ESPN's voters of its legitimacy. The Wolverines' first three opponents have zero FBS wins to this point, and Michigan had its hands full at home against previously unbeaten Maryland on Saturday.
With all that in mind, here's how ESPN's college football reporters see the current playoff picture.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Blake Baumgartner: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Bill Connelly: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. Michigan
Heather Dinich: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Alabama 4. USC
David Hale: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. Washington
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. USC
Chris Low: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Tennessee
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Oregon
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. Clemson
Alex Scarborough: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. USC
Mark Schlabach: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. USC
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Alabama 4. USC
Dave Wilson: 1. Georgia 2. Alabama 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson
