Where do two-loss SEC teams fall? Our College Football Playoff ranking prediction

The situation involving Alabama, LSU and Tennessee is unprecedented in the College Football Playoff era.

With the next playoff release set for Tuesday evening, there are three teams from the same conference with the same record battling for position near the top of the rankings, with the added quirk of the Volunteers' head-to-head wins against the Tigers and Crimson Tide.

However, this weekend's 63-38 loss to South Carolina threatens to overwrite those impactful wins and send Tennessee to the back of the line among two-loss SEC teams.

How to weigh this recent result against the Volunteers' deeper resume is one of the toughest questions the committee will face in this or any season under the four-team format. Even if Tennessee and Alabama have been written out of the mix for the national semifinals, the committee's response may impact the New Year's Six slate and influence the resulting bowl matchups in the SEC and the larger Power Five.

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At least it'll be easy near the top: Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU all escaped Saturday's upset attempts, keeping the top four in place for another week.

1. Georgia (11-0)

Given the season-ending injury to Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, quarterback Stetson Bennett might've made a more serious run at the Heisman Trophy with a stronger close to the regular season. Two interceptions against Mississippi State and one of worst starts of his career against Kentucky spell the end to Bennett's already slim chances. He'll have to settle for a place in program history as the Bulldogs terrorize the SEC and the broader Bowl Subdivision on the way to a possible second national championship.

2. Ohio State (11-0)

While on the topic of the Heisman, the race has really settled on two outstanding quarterbacks: C.J. Stroud and Caleb Williams. Stroud has been at or near the top of the list since the preseason, but a recent drop in production — he has seven touchdowns in his past four games but five came against Indiana — has boosted Williams' chances. The Heisman would return to being Stroud's to lose with a win and a strong game against Michigan.

3. Michigan (11-0)

Michigan's close brush with Illinois won't give TCU the ammunition to move into the top three; the Horned Frogs haven't been punished for narrow wins, so neither should the Wolverines. This weekend's showdown against the Buckeyes provides a long list of opportunities, including a chance to buck recent history: Michigan hasn't won two in a row in the rivalry since 1999-2000.

4. TCU (11-0)

In the Bowl Championship Series days, the Horned Frogs would've been roadblocked from the championship game by Georgia and the Big Ten champion. In this format, that they've barely gotten past a run of teams doesn't matter. TCU has eight wins by 10 or fewer points: SMU (42-34), Kansas (38-31), Oklahoma State (43-40), Kansas State (38-28), West Virginia (41-31), Texas Tech (34-24), Texas (17-10) and Baylor (29-28).

5. Southern California (10-1)

Look for the Trojans to replace Tennessee after an epic win against UCLA. With wins against Notre Dame and in the Pac-12 championship game, USC will be very difficult to knock out of the top four. What could change if three spots are taken by Georgia, the Big Ten winner and TCU? LSU beating the Bulldogs is the most obvious issue for USC.

6. LSU (9-2)

Texas A&M had issues against Massachusetts, making it very hard to imagine how the Aggies manage to score a huge upset against LSU. The big one for the Tigers comes a week later in the SEC championship game.

7. Clemson (10-1)

Beating Miami (Fla.) won't give Clemson the ammunition to move ahead of LSU in this week's rankings. But this weekend's rivalry game against South Carolina will give a huge boost after the Gamecocks' win against Tennessee and North Carolina would still represent a very quality win in the ACC championship game even after the Tar Heels' belly flop against Georgia Tech.

8. Alabama (9-2)

How Alabama looks against Auburn and in the postseason will have a heavy bearing on the future of the offense. In the last three games against FBS teams, the Tide are averaging 2.9 yards per carry, 5.1 yards per play and 30.1 points per game. With coordinator Bill O'Brien in the mix for Power Five openings, the coming months could lead to an offensive reboot.

9. Tennessee (9-2)

Tennessee could land as high as sixth if the committee agrees to focus more on those two marquee wins instead of one ugly loss. The Volunteers could very well come in ahead of Alabama, which is easier to imagine. But they could also land behind Oregon. Given how late we are in the regular season, there's an incredibly wide range of possible landing spots for the Volunteers.

10. Oregon (9-2)

The Ducks will climb at least two spots after earning a very impressive win against Utah. That result could be what sends Oregon into a New Year's Six bowl if USC wins Saturday against the Fighting Irish. With a win against Oregon State and a USC victory, Oregon would enter the Pac-12 championship game guaranteed to grab one of those bowl slots — either as the outright conference champion or as the top-ranked Pac-12 team after the Trojans land in the playoff.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff ranking prediction: Where do SEC teams fall?