Column: Shakeout Saturday in college football: three key games with big playoff implications

Saturday can’t possibly top Saturday past on the insanity meter, unless a team uses nine laterals to win on a game-ending touchdown that should not have counted.

There was also a chaotic goal-line finish at Minnesota; Temple putting up a tough fight against Notre Dame in Philadelphia; plus a scary Halloween-night finish for Stanford at Washington State.

Yet, for all the moving moments, the big needle didn’t budge. There were no casualties among the top playoff contenders.

That’s about to change, with a triple-header guaranteed to shake up this week’s loosely assembled leaderboard.

Six teams in the top 15 of the first College Football Playoff ranking square off in a midday-to-midnight dust-up. Four of the six teams are undefeated and another, Alabama, might as well be based on the love it received from the selection committee.

The panel, obviously imbued by the spirit of a Chesterfield-smoking man in a houndstooth hat, overlooked a home loss against Mississippi that left many Alabama fans in tears. The Crimson Tide also received a pass for lethargic home wins against Tennessee and Arkansas teams that are a collective 8-8.

The selection committee collated all this evidence and anointed Alabama No. 4. And the thanks it received?

Alabama Coach Nick Saban went on a rant against a system that would have the gall to think his team was good.

“I don’t even know why we have it,” Saban said of the CFP ranking. “The only real reason we have it is [for] folks like you to talk about it. That’s all it is.”

Saban continued: “It doesn’t mean anything, so until the end of the season I don’t have anything to say about that.”

(Note: remember this Saban quote when you get to the third game-capsule preview below.)

A look at Saturday’s showdowns (with CFP rankings):

•No. 16 Florida State (7-1) at No. 1 Clemson (8-0)

Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney is already on the defensive in advance of a game doubters wonder if his team can win. Florida State has won three straight in a series that typically has major national implications.

Clemson blew a huge opportunity last year when it couldn’t beat Florida State when the Seminoles were without quarterback Jameis Winston, who was suspended for shouting obscenities from a lunch-area table top.

“The last thing I’m worried about is any anti-Clemson faction,” Swinney said this week.

A lot of people think Clemson is the real deal this year, but even that didn’t satisfy Swinney.

“We’ve been a highly ranked team for a long time,” he said. “It’s not like we just got in the rankings.”

Florida State would be unscathed if not for a last-seconds loss to Georgia Tech. The Seminoles occupy the same No. 16 CFP starting spot Ohio State had last season when it won the national title.

•No. 8 Texas Christian (8-0) at No. 14 Oklahoma State (8-0)

The selection committee clearly is not yet impressed by the Big 12 Conference’s leaders and had its suspicions reinforced Thursday when undefeated Baylor struggled to a 31-24 win at Kansas State.

TCU has the unstoppable combination of quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson. Oklahoma State is still a mystery as it tries to repeat its 2011 run to playoff contention.

The 2011 Cowboys were ultimately foiled by horrific defense and a double-overtime loss at Iowa State. Brandon Weeden, that team’s quarterback, told the Daily Oklahoman this week, “I’m not joking when I say I still lose sleep over that game.”

Alabama that year ultimately edged Oklahoma State for the No. 2 BCS spot, .9419 to .9333, and won the national title.

Oklahoma State, despite giving up 53 points to Texas Tech, is statistically better than it was in 2011. The Cowboys four years ago were ranked No. 107 in total defense heading into the final weekend. This Cowboys defense is No. 41, right behind Michigan State, allowing 357 yards per game.

•No. 2 Louisiana State (7-0) at No. 4 Alabama (7-1)

Remember what Saban said about not talking about the ranking until the end of the season? He might change his tune in early December if Alabama wins out but Mississippi captures the Southeastern Conference West.

Mississippi controls its destiny in the division.

Alabama might be in the same position it was in 2011, having to lobby for a championship chance despite not winning its own division of the SEC.

The SEC has been known to change deeply held convictions.

In 2006, in the case of Florida v. BCS, the league argued there should not be an Ohio State-Michigan rematch in the national title game because Michigan had its chance but lost to Ohio State during the regular season.

In 2011, the SEC flipped the script and argued that Alabama deserved a rematch against LSU in the national title game even though it lost to LSU during the regular season.

This season? It’s a little too soon to predict what the SEC will demand.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com