For the fourth straight week, the top eight teams in The Associated Press college football poll were stuck in place, and a glance at the upcoming schedule suggests it could be a couple more weeks before this gridlock lets up.
The elite eight runs down like this: Alabama at No. 1 followed by Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson and Texas A&M in the top five. Florida is sixth, Cincinnati is seventh and BYU eighth.
And that's the way its been since Nov. 8, the day after Notre Dame beat Clemson.
Among the top six teams, only one plays an opponent with a winning record next week. Texas A&M is at Auburn (5-3). No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 BYU are scheduled to be off, and the speculation about those two unbeatens trying play each other on short notice seemed to be doused when the Bearcats had their American Athletic Conference game against Temple called off because of COVID-19 issues with both teams.
No. 3 Ohio State is also in danger of getting another week off next Saturday because of a virus outbreak — which would create a whole other set of problems for the Buckeyes.
So barring a big upset by LSU, Syracuse, Virginia Tech or Tennessee, or a more modest upset by Auburn, the AP poll could be heading toward a fifth straight week of stagnation.
Reality check takes no issue for the voters standing pat. Here is where the ranked teams stand heading into an unusual December stretch run in college football, where the pandemic is the toughest opponent.
No. 1 Alabama (8-0)
