Playoff Picture Tightens as Six Teams Remain Unbeaten

Six FBS teams remain unbeaten as the College Football Playoff picture sharpens late in the season, with conference races and undefeated runs shaping CFP hopes. Virginia (7-1) sits on the playoff bubble and must keep winning to secure a spot. The expanded 12-team playoff has increased relevance for multiple Texas programs, including Texas A&M and Texas Tech, and the SEC title race remains wide open entering the final month with Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Texas still in contention. Separately, Alabama men's basketball opens the season vs. North Dakota after finishing last year No. 6; the Crimson Tide are No. 15 in the preseason AP poll and project as a 4-seed in Joe Lunardi’s bracketology while ranking No. 23 in KenPom. Duke football has shown it can contend in the ACC despite three losses and faces a defining road test at Clemson, and NFL observers should note Duke lineman Brian Parker II as a draft prospect while Houston and Kansas City face among the toughest remaining schedules, factors that could affect postseason outlooks.