Week nine of the college football season felt like the last bit of appetizers at a super fancy dinner. You know, a place not called Cheesecake Factory.

You’ve ordered your main course, and you see the waiter bring out your dish. It’s a massive tomahawk steak and someone else ordered sizzling fajitas because they want everybody looking at who ordered the sizzling hot fajitas.

On Tuesday, you’ve got the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings. Nobody is going to lock up a playoff spot in the first rankings, but they will offer a good look at where we’re at entering November.

Then, on Saturday you’ve got at least nine games that have some type of impact on conference races as well as the CFP.

The most important of those takes place on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa with Alabama facing LSU. On the other side SEC, Georgia can take a step closer in punching a ticket to Atlanta with a victory over Missouri. Then, you’ve got Washington, Oregon State, Texas, and Oklahoma in games that “make or break” a season.

Before we dig in, lets rank some teams.

No. 25 Miami (6-2): Things were looking a bit wild for Miami in the last few weeks, but things seem to have calmed down, and the Canes are in the thick of the ACC race.

No. 24 Oklahoma St (6-2): It’s Bedlam Week. Perhaps the final Bedlam Week. Treasure it now, while we can.

No. 23 Fresno State (7-1): The first CFP rankings will tell us, but we may be on course for the Mountain West champion reaching the NY6 as the G5 representative.

No. 22 Tulane (7-1): The Green Wave may be the only thing standing in the Mountain West’s way of a NY6 appearance.

No. 21 Kansas (6-2): The days of the Jayhawks being a punchline are fading fast, and they’re the ones doing the punching now.

No. 20 Kansas State (6-2): It’s not a far-fetched thought but in two weeks, the Sunflower Showdown between KU and K-State may be a Big 12 title eliminator.

No. 19 James Madison (8-0): For the love of God!! Someone invite James Madison to a bowl game!

No. 18 Oregon State (6-2): Head coach Jonathan Smith’s coaching blunder near halftime may have cost his team the game, and much more.

No. 17 UCLA (6-2): The UCLA Bruins begin a group of two-loss teams that may have a chance at reaching the NY6.

No. 16 Tennessee (6-2): I really liked Tennessee’s showing vs. Kentucky on Saturday, the next test? Georgia at home in a few weeks.

No. 15 Missouri (7-1): Look, I’m not saying that Georgia will lose to Missouri, but the Bulldogs shouldn’t nap through their showdown with Missouri this Saturday.

No. 14 Air Force (8-0): Air Force getting a flyover in a New Year’s Six game. The dream is still alive!

No. 13 Ole Miss (7-1): The Rebels look to be in good shape for a New Year’s Day bowl.

No. 12 LSU (6-2): LSU can’t reach the CFP, but that doesn’t mean they can’t ruin everybody’s good time. Bama fans, look away!

No. 11 Notre Dame (7-2): Don’t look now, but Notre Dame is on track for 10 wins in the second time in three seasons.

No. 10 Penn State (7-1): Sure, fine…let’s just do this whole “Can James Franklin win a big game” in two weeks vs. Michigan.

No. 9 Alabama (7-1): I will be very fascinated with where the Crimson Tide land in the first edition of the CFP rankings.

No. 8 Oklahoma (7-1): Playoff dreams aren’t completely dead, but they did take a MAJOR hit with the loss at Kansas.

No. 7 Oregon (7-1): So yeah, didn’t see THAT performance coming from Oregon. Good lord!

No. 6 Texas (7-1): The Texas tightrope walk to the CFP continues with a visit from the Kansas State Wildcats.

No. 5 Ohio State (8-0): It appears we can just fast forward towards Ohio State vs. Michigan in the Big House at the end of November.

No. 4 Washington (8-0): Washington struggled with Stanford, and things don’t get any easier with USC this week.

No. 3 Florida State (8-0): Aside from Miami in a few weeks, FSU should go untested for the rest of the regular season.

No. 2 Michigan (8-0): They picked the absolute worst time to have a bye week!

No. 1 Georgia (8-0): No Brock Bowers? No problem, at least this week against Florida.

What does next season’s 12-team playoff look like in 2023?

Projected 12-team CFP seedings and matchups (The Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl are the semifinal sites this season)

No. 12 Air Force (highest ranked G5) at No. 5 Ohio State

No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Texas

No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Oregon

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma

Projected CFP Quarterfinals

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 vs. No. 9 winner

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 6 vs. No. 11 winner

Orange Bowl: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 7 vs. No. 10 winner

Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Washington vs. No. 5 vs. No. 12 winner