Who will land at No. 4? Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings release

Let's get the easiest part out of the way: Georgia will be No. 1 in the second College Football Playoff rankings after winning 27-13 against last week's No. 1, Tennessee.

The Bulldogs will be followed by Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan, rounding out an obvious and very uncontroversial top three.

Look for the debate to unfold from there and center on four teams:

• TCU, the fourth and final unbeaten team in the Bowl Subdivision;

• The Volunteers, who could still land at No. 4 despite Saturday's loss;

• LSU, which will remain the highest-ranked two-loss team and could leapfrog multiple one-loss teams after an emotional win against Alabama;

• And Clemson, which will fall out of the top four but may not plummet too far after an ugly loss to Notre Dame.

How the playoff selection committee compares and ranks these teams will paint a deeper picture of how the race for the national championship will unfold through the rest of this month and into early December.

After a wild weekend that saw losses from three leading playoff contenders, here's how the top of the playoff rankings should look on Tuesday evening:

1. Georgia (9-0)

It's not too uncommon to have this sort of no-doubt No. 1 — all you have to do is look at this point last season, when Georgia occupied the top spot as one of just two unbeaten Power Five teams. But the Bulldogs have no competition at No. 1 and will remain here with an undefeated regular season.

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2. Ohio State (9-0)

Struggling against Northwestern amid some very tough weather conditions won't do anything to Ohio State's playoff ranking. Second a week ago, the Buckeyes will remain ahead of Michigan by virtue of five victories against opponents currently with a winning record, led by a win against Notre Dame that has turned into a major asset.

3. Michigan (9-0)

Game control matters to the committee, and it's here that Michigan shines. Only one of nine wins has come by a single possession, and only then because Maryland scored a worthless touchdown with under a minute left in a 34-27 loss.

4. TCU (9-0)

Things can and do change in the playoff rankings, especially given the committee's tendency to toss aside previous rankings following conference championship weekend. But coming in ahead of Tennessee would give a solid indication that unbeaten TCU will stick in the top four and conceivably climb into the top three after one of Ohio State or Michigan lose in late November.

5. Tennessee (8-1)

There's a good chance that the Volunteers come in ahead of TCU. If so, that would make a profound statement about the Volunteers' chances of reaching the semifinals despite finishing second in the SEC East. But it's harder to make the case for the top four given the decreasing value placed on last month's win against Alabama.

6. Oregon (8-1)

We're nearing the scenario where Oregon and Tennessee end the regular season with one loss and force the committee to make a very difficult decision about which team to slot into the final spot in the field. In this case, the Ducks will have one more win and a Power Five championship. The Volunteers will have better wins in a far better conference and a more competitive result against Georgia. But give Oregon credit for bouncing back from the 49-3 loss in the season opener to create this debate.

7. LSU (7-2)

Two terrific wins in a row against Mississippi and the Crimson Tide has boosted LSU into the thick of the playoff debate despite earlier setbacks against Florida State and the Volunteers. There are legitimate questions about the Tigers' ability to run the table in November — that would demand road wins against Arkansas and Texas A&M, which is probable but not guaranteed — and then beat Georgia to win the SEC. Yet you can't overlook how the Tigers have surged into this conversation and the impact they could play down the stretch in determining the makeup and order of the top four.

8. Clemson (8-1)

That Clemson was in last week's top four suggests the drop after losing to the Fighting Irish might not mirror the seven-spot tumble in this week's USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. The Tigers still have four wins against Power Five teams currently sitting at 6-3 or better; Southern California and Mississippi have just one such victory. The dreaded eye test might not favor Clemson, though.

9. Southern California (8-1)

USC has remained in the thick of things thanks to the superb play of quarterback Caleb Williams and an explosive offense. The defense has collapsed, however. After a strong start to Pac-12 play, the Trojans have given up at least 35 points, 469 yards and 6.4 yards per play in three straight games.

10. Mississippi (8-1)

Saturday's game against Alabama will determine whether the Rebels make a late run at the top four. Even with a victory, Ole Miss will need to win out and have LSU lose to either Arkansas or Texas A&M in order to reach the SEC championship game. Unlike Tennessee, the Rebels are not currently seen as a threat to reach the semifinals at 11-1 and in second place in the SEC West.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff ranking prediction: TCU, Tennessee at No. 4?