Alabama, Ohio State and the winner of Saturday’s Clemson-Notre Dame showdown look to be locks for the College Football Playoff. As for the fourth spot, it’s anyone’s guess.

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football (rowboat repair kit sold separately in Minneapolis):

FIRST QUARTER: WE NEED A FOURTH, ANY TAKERS?

All those people who are always saying we need to expand the College Football Playoff? Have you all looked at what’s transpired this season? We don’t need expansion, we need contraction. That’s right, a three-team playoff.

Let Alabama and Ohio State finish cruising through their conferences. Then take the winner of Clemson–Notre Dame this Saturday. That’s it, that’s the field. Let them play a little round robin tourney. If one of them goes 2-0, that’s your national champion. If they all go 1-1, let the polls decide it like the old days. (That was always free of controversy,