Coming off of a 41-0 victory against Mississippi State and HC Mike Leach's "air-raid offense," Alabama had arguably made a solid case for the No. 1 ranking in the country. However, even after losing their star quarterback and squeaking out a win against Boston College, Clemson still managed to find the hearts of the AP and Coach's Poll to keep them at the No. 1 spot.

This week, on the other hand, Clemson couldn't manage to meet the same fortune. In a double-overtime thriller in South Bend, IN, the No. 1 Tigers fell to No. 5 Notre Dame by a score of 47-40 on the road.

Multiple power-five teams still remain undefeated through the first week in November, including Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State; though, pin-pointing an undefeated team with a schedule more difficult than Alabama's record on the year is a struggle.

After the loss from undefeated the Clemson Tigers, Alabama has regained the throne and is now ranked as the No. 1 team in the country, for their 13th consecutive season.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today
Photo Courtesy of USA Today
loading...

How long will they get to stay there?

Considering the fact that Clemson wasn't removed from their throne until after a loss (despite a couple of close calls), as long as Saban and the Crimson Tide finish their season as they started, Alabama should remain No. 1 for the remainder of the campaign.

Remember, teams can also slip in rankings if situations occur where key starters get injured or a COVID-19 outbreak happens in the locker room; simply, there is no such thing as "certainty" in DI college football.

Who else could claim the throne in 2020?

Another power-five program making their case for the No. 1 spot is certainly the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Big Ten's season started much later than the ACC or SEC, so their current perfect record for Ohio State only reflects three wins. Nonetheless, junior QB Justin Fields has managed to average their offense just over 46 points per game and set a good tone for their season.

For the rest of the Buckeyes' eight-game Big Ten-only schedule, their toughest matchups they'll have to face include: a HOT Maryland team with a rejuvenated offense in College Park, MD; a currently-undefeated No. 10 Indiana team who managed to knock off Michigan and Penn State already in 2020; and, as always, their tense rivalry game against Michigan at home. Making it through these three key games would be instrumental for the Buckeyes if their goal is to be ranked at No. 1 and make the College Football Playoff with a limited number of scheduled games.

Photo Courtesy of The Lantern
Photo Courtesy of The Lantern
loading...

For more content from J.R. and all the talented interns at Tide 100.9, make sure to tune-in for Tide Tonight - Monday and Wednesday @ 6:00-7:00 pm & Thursday @ 6:00-6:30 PM. You can hear all of our excellent radio content on the new Tide 100.9 app!

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Alabama 2020 Offensive Players

More From Tide 100.9