The biggest superpowers of the late-2010s are distancing themselves in 2020. Alabama and Clemson, winners of the 2015-18 national titles (among others, in the Tide's case), both looked spectacular on Saturday and inched further ahead of the pack in the SP+ ratings. They beat Auburn and Pitt (22nd and 34th in SP+ last week, respectively) by a combined 94-30, and they each gained about two adjusted points per game in the SP+ ratings. With Ohio State on the sidelines, the Tide and Tigers are now a semi-distant No. 1 and No. 2.
What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.