Rivalry week has really proven itself in college football.

There were lots of exciting finals over the weekend. Of course, Michigan’s surprise wins Ohio State was the headliner. This was a big win for Sherrone Moore and capped an exciting two weeks for the program after a largely disappointing season. But Michigan remained confident in its process, as its coaching staff told us in a phone call last week that it had a good chance of winning this game if it came one score late.

Obviously, there was the Michigan-OSU battle at the end, which was just one of many heated moments Saturday. If you’d like to hear my detailed thoughts on “The Game” and the fights that broke out in college football over the weekend, listen to the latest episode of my podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show.”

Rivalry week also marks the end of the regular season. With conference championship weekend just days away, I believe there are eight teams that have already secured a spot in the College Football Playoff. Here are my top 10 teams, including all eight teams that I think have secured a spot.

1. Oregon (Last week: 1)
Record: 12-0
Result week 14: Defeated Washington 49-21

Oregon seemed to continue to be part of a team that is considered the undisputed No. 1 team in the country. Much attention has been paid to quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Oregon’s offense, but there were a total of 10 sacks in their win over Washington on Saturday. Oregon still needs to beat Penn State in the Big Ten title game to earn a first-round bye, but the Ducks have comfortably been in the CFP for some time.

2. Texas (Last week: 3)
Record: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Texas A&M 17-7

I don’t think the score in Texas’ win was indicative of the outcome of the game. Texas was much better than a 17-7 final would suggest. Texas A&M’s only points came from a tipped pick-six. This Texas defense is dominant. If things go best, I think Texas is probably my pick to win the national championship. At best, Texas might be better than everyone else, even if it’s hard to compete against Oregon – and I still think Ohio State is very good.

3. Penn State (Last week: 4)
Record: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Maryland 44-7

With Ohio State’s loss, Penn State gets a chance to play for the Big Ten title. Penn State defeated the Terrapins, scoring points late, to the dismay of Maryland coach Mike Locksley. I agree with James Franklin and when your 2s and 3s are in the game they deserve the opportunity to play hard. But now there is a possible path for Penn State to land at No. 1 overall in the CFP.

4. Notre Dame (Last week: 6)
Record: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated USC, 49-35

Notre Dame was quietly a very good team. If the Irish could just throw it a little better, I would be very high on Notre Dame. I was kind of surprised that USC was able to move the ball as well as it did against Notre Dame’s defense, which ranks third nationally in scoring and 10th in yards allowed. But Notre Dame’s offense has been going well lately, scoring at least 49 points in five of the last seven games.

5. Georgia (Last week: 5)
Record: 10-2
Result week 14: Defeated Georgia Tech, 44-42 (8 OT)

Georgia is in the CFP regardless of what happens in the SEC title game. Winning the national championship is just not one of my favorites after watching the game against Georgia Tech. There have been too many instances this season with Georgia where things haven’t looked great, at least compared to the past and compared to other title contenders. Georgia got through that game on Friday. (By the way, technicians, you should bet on two at the end of the first overtime.)

6. Tennessee (Last week: 7)
Record: 10-2
Result week 14: Defeated Vanderbilt 36-23

Tennessee fans and I seem to have a difficult relationship, but I’m glad you’re going to the CFP. After Saturday’s win over Vandy, when Nico Iamaleava threw four touchdowns after falling in an early hole, you might have secured a first-round home game, too.

7. Ohio State (Last week: 2)
Record: 10-2
Result week 14: Lost to Michigan, 13-10

There will be a lot of talk about Saturday’s loss to Michigan. Michigan’s defensive line dominated this game and Michigan’s ground attack delivered the final blow as it carried the ball for 394 yards at 6.7 yards per carry in the final four fourth quarters of The Game. Michigan knew it had to be a one-score game and that it could win that way.

Ryan Day went 1-4 against Michigan and lost his last four games. This guy is an incredible coach. He has a record of 65-6 against everyone else. That matchup was his downfall, and I think that’s because it was played on Michigan’s terms. It felt like Ohio State made the decision to let Saturday’s game play out the way it did. I kept thinking, “When is the pace coming? When is the perimeter game coming?’ It never really materialized. I don’t think The Ohio State University had a lot of trust in Will Howard’s style of play, and I think they had a lot of trust in their own defense.

This loss will hurt – a lot. Still, Ohio State is still in this thing, and there isn’t a great team in America. Ohio State has already seen Oregon and lost by one point on the road. Ohio State still has a very clear path to winning a national championship. I know it was an emotional loss. I completely understand that, but if this team can just fix a few issues from Saturday’s loss, they could very well win the national championship.

Day and OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles have already adjusted well after the loss at Oregon, as the defense was better later in the year. Now Day has to make those adjustments on offense. Ohio State figured out Saturday that its offense can’t get caught up in a street brawl. It must be played along the perimeter. This offensive line isn’t good enough to win a street fight. It can’t be a running team and win. It has to be a team that can pass, which means they have to trust Howard and he in turn has to play better.

8. Indiana (Last week: 9)
Record: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Purdue 66-0

I think Indiana is in the CFP. When you look at everything that’s happened and the Hoosiers’ resume, it’s clear that this is not a bubble team. They dominated Purdue after the loss to Ohio State. With Saturday’s win, Indiana has 11 wins with an average of 33 points per game. Only one of his wins was by less than 14 points, against Michigan. This win looks better now after Michigan’s upset on Saturday, doesn’t it?

If you still have concerns about the strength of Indiana’s schedule, it doesn’t look as bad as people would expect. It’s 65th, which isn’t great, but several other CFP teams or contenders have strong schedules near that mark. SMU’s strength of schedule is 75th, Miami (Florida) is 55th and Notre Dame is 57th.

9. SMU (Last week: 10)
Record: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Cal, 38-6

If SMU loses to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, it would be a bubble team. It would be interesting to see whether or not the committee would penalize SMU for losing this game. If the season ended now, SMU would likely claim a CFP spot. Can this extra game actually knock the Mustangs out? That’s fascinating. SMU had 30 points again on Saturday. It ranks fifth nationally in scoring (39.2 points per game).

10. Alabama (Last week: Unranked)
Record: 9-3
Result week 14: Defeated Auburn 28-14

I think Alabama is a bubble team. However, and I don’t like this, here’s what I think will happen: Alabama will be the last team in the CFP. You can argue all you want that Ole Miss should be in there. I really believe this brand name can take over given the way the committee has handled Indiana and SMU at times. The path of least resistance can get Alabama into the CFP. Well, this is just a prediction, but I think Alabama will make it even if SMU loses on Saturday.

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and host of the podcast.The Joel Klatt Show.“Follow him around @joelklatt And Subscribe to The Joel Klatt Show on YouTube.

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