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Ranking the FBS conferences: SEC maintains lead over Pac-12

The second College Football Playoff rankings welcomed a new team into the top four, and the CFB 24/7 team ranked the teams within each of the Power Five conferences (see navigation tabs at top of story) and each of the FBS conferences overall:

1. SEC

There are three West Division teams in the top five of the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings and five division teams in the top 16.

2. Pac-12

Oregon is the only team in the Pac-12 North with a winning league record. The South Division, though, is jumbled, with five teams owning a winning conference record.

3. Big 12

Kansas State is the only team unbeaten in league play, and its game at TCU on Saturday very well could determine the conference title.

4. Big Ten

Saturday's Michigan State-Ohio State game is the conference's game of the year.

5. ACC

The league has four teams in the selection committee's top 25. But three of them are in the 20s.

6. Mountain West

The Mountain Division is strong. The West Division? It's not strong.

7. American Athletic

When your supposed two best teams (East Carolina and UCF) lose on the same day, it shows the league has some depth. It also shows that the teams at the top aren't that good.

8. Conference USA

Marshall looks poised to finish the season unbeaten. Will that be enough to get the Herd the "automatic" bid to a playoff-affiliated bowl that goes to a non-Power Five conference school?

9. Mid-American

MAC teams have a combined 36 games remaining, and 12 of those will be on Tuesdays. There are eight apiece on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

10. Sun Belt

The league potentially could have four teams with double-digit losses.

Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.