New blood in College Football Playoff? Alabama, Clemson may join Oklahoma as stalwarts left out in cold

The Crimson Tide, Tigers and Sooners have combined for 17 of 32 CFP berths through eight seasons

Turns out we don't have to wait until the College Football Playoff expands to see new blood ... or at least newer blood. After a transformative Saturday in Week 10, there are open spots for unexpected participants in the playoff with four weeks left until Selection Sunday.

For the first time since 2014 -- the first year of the playoff -- the top four in the weekly CFP Rankings is not likely to include Alabama, Clemson or Oklahoma. Those three had combined for 17 total berths in the eight-year history of the event.

On Saturday, the three traditional powers all lost on the same day for the first time since 2007. Oklahoma was given as a disappointment having already lost its most games (three) since 2014 before falling at home to Baylor. 

But Alabama and Clemson? Whoa. The two programs alone have accounted for 13 of the 32 berths in the eight-year history of the CFP. Together, they've won five of the eight CFP National Championships. Now, it possible or even likely that neither will be a participant. The Tigers' drop will likely be precipitous after the wheels fell off at Notre Dame.

Alabama fell to guts and guile of LSU's Brian Kelly, who went for two in overtime Saturday night in Death Valley. The successful conversion pass -- from renovated quarterback Jayden Daniels to freshman tight end Mason Terry -- reflected the razor's edge nature of the game. Terry, a freshman, is making his name. Daniels, a senior, is finally finding his game.

"Before the game started, if you had asked me, 'Hey, I'm going to give you one play, and if you're successful on that one play, you beat Alabama,' I'm taking that 100 times out of 100," said Kelly after the game. "And so, at that moment, it kind of hit me that way."

Kelly, who started 4-2, went from overpaid to perhaps overpraised. And by the way, LSU, now 7-2, is in control of not only the SEC West but a possible CFP berth. LSU, the only program in the BCS era to win it all with two losses (2007), has put itself squarely in that position again.

The result hit Saban and the Crimson Tide smack in their reputation as the game's gold standard.

This is the earliest Alabama has lost its second game in 15 years, which just so happened to be Saban's first season in 2007. The Tide have also lost twice before the Iron Bowl for the first time since 2010.

"It's a bit of an understatement to say how disappointed our team is, how disappointed we all are," Saban said.

It gets worse -- or better, depending on your perspective. Alabama and Clemson lost on the same day for the first time since Nov. 30, 2013. That is better known as the night of the Kick Six and the day South Carolina last beat in-state rival Clemson. Bama dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 the following Sunday with Clemson falling from No. 6 to No. 13.

"This was an ass kicking, period," Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said after the 35-14 loss.

For those of you wanting variety in your CFP, it seems you're going to get it.

TCU (9-0) is one of four remaining undefeated teams. Now, it's possible the Horned Frogs may actually be able to afford a situational loss in their last three games and still get in.

College football's favorite punchline of late, the Pac-12, is now a legit factor. USC has the best path with its only loss being by one point to Utah. Conference leader Oregon is undefeated in league play, but that 46-point loss to Georgia in the opener might as well be a cement overcoat for the Ducks.

Or maybe not.

Strangely -- or perhaps not -- Tennessee's world is not as rocked as we thought late Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the Volunteers have a chance to be the second SEC team in the CFP. There's going to be an opening with Alabama and Clemson dropping, and Tennessee's remaining schedule includes Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Of course, the Vols need Georgia to take care of business.

If Tennessee's competition for a top-four spot is TCU as a one-loss Big 12 champion and Oregon/USC/UCLA as a one-loss Pac-12 champion, who ya got? The CFP Selection Committee tends to favor conference champions in those situations unless the at-large candidate is "clearly" better.

That's ignoring that Ole Miss could put itself in the at-large picture by winning out against Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State. LSU now needs only to win at Arkansas and Texas A&M to get to Atlanta.

Not an easy task for any of these teams, but this hasn't exactly been an easy season for the CFP's traditional squatters. For the moment, they've all been evicted.

Check out Jerry Palm's updated bowl projections after Week 10 as well as the CBS Sports bowl eligibility tracker for updates on what your team needs to do in order to go bowling this season.