Colleges: As unbeatens dwindle, 17 one-loss teams can mull chances of crashing playoff

Good luck, selection committee.

The first season of the College Football Playoff is a little more than halfway in the books, and there are just four unbeaten teams left in the FBS. Two play each other (No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 3 Mississippi). One is No. 2 Florida State, which has spent a good chunk of this season dancing around trap doors. The other is No. 23 Marshall, which plays one of the weakest schedules in the country and realistically has little chance of being part of the football final four.

And for those who think Marshall's chances are much closer to none than slim, let's just say it's best to never say never.

There are also 17 one-loss teams, from No. 4 Alabama to unranked Minnesota and Duke, that have every right to dream big.

"I hadn't gone there," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said with a little bit of a laugh Sunday.

"I do know where we are right now, it gives us an opportunity to continue to play very meaningful games."

If the Blue Devils (or Gophers) were to run the table, why wouldn't they have a case to play for the national title? The committee's first Top 25 comes out Oct. 28, and this race promises to take plenty of twists and turns before the field is set Dec. 7.

For now, the Southeastern Conference is dominating the top of the Associated Press college football poll. The SEC on Sunday became the first conference to hold four of the top five spots in the rankings - all from the West Division.

"Glad we're not playing the Mississippis this year, though I don't know who you want to play over on the western side," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, whose team was routed on opening night by Texas A&M.

Top-ranked Mississippi State held its spot in an off week. Mississippi did the same after a 34-3 victory against Tennessee.

Alabama jumped three spots to No. 4 after throttling Texas A&M 59-0.

No. 5 Auburn took advantage of Baylor's being upset by West Virginia and Notre Dame's loss at Florida State, inching up a spot after an off week.

The Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Mississippi and the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama, both played the Saturday after Thanksgiving, will help settle some things in the SEC West. Also, Auburn still has to visit Ole Miss, and Mississippi State goes to Alabama. Or those four teams can take turns beating each other and create a logjam of one-loss teams.

As for Florida State, the lone crasher of the SEC's top-five party, the Seminoles showed again Saturday night that resiliency breeds good fortune. Behind a brilliant second half by Jameis Winston, and with the help of a late offensive pass interference penalty against Notre Dame, Florida State escaped again.

"If you've got the champ, you can't win by split-decision. You've got to knock him out," Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly said.

The Seminoles have a hard chin, but problems still exist. Notre Dame ran the ball better on FSU than it had for much of the season. The Seminoles' own running game can't seem to get rolling behind an offensive line that has underachieved.

But the Seminoles have Winston, the headline-making Heisman Trophy winner who reminded everyone that behind all the noise, he is maybe the most gifted passer in college football.

Cal wide receiver leaves hospital

California receiver Trevor Davis was released from the hospital after he was hurt on a kickoff return.

Davis was removed from the field on a stretcher in the fourth quarter of a 36-34 loss to UCLA on Saturday. The team said he was taken to the hospital for tests before being released around midnight Sunday.

"I'd like to thank everyone so much for all the prayers, and I'm blessed to say that I'm doing good and will be back soon," Davis said on his Twitter account.

From wire reports