The SEC had to be happy with the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Alabama jumped all the way to No. 1; Mississippi State remained among the top four despite Saturday’s loss to the Tide; and both Ole Miss and Georgia are hanging around in the top 10. It was clear the committee still thinks highly of the conference as a whole.

Here’s a look at where all four SEC playoff contenders stand heading into Week 13.

Alabama

Record: 9-1 (6-1)

Rank: No. 1

Next big obstacle: Nov. 29 vs. Auburn

Reason for optimism: It's all there for the taking. Thanks to Saturday's win over then-No. 1 Mississippi State, Bama is in the driver's seat to win the West and reach the playoff. With this weekend's game against FCS Western Carolina, the Crimson Tide get a chance to rest up for the following week's Iron Bowl against Auburn.

Cause for concern: Play-in scenarios can be tricky, especially when you're staring down a regular-season finale against your rival. If Alabama loses to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, all bets are off. Either Mississippi State or Ole Miss would then win the West and Alabama would be left out in the cold.

Who they’ll be rooting for: Boston College over Florida State

-- Alex Scarborough

Mississippi State

Record: 9-1 (5-1)

Rank: No. 4

Next big obstacle: Nov. 29 at Ole Miss

Reason for optimism: The Bulldogs didn’t fall that far in the polls -- dropping from No. 1 to 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings -- after losing their first game of the season Saturday against Alabama. Mississippi State still has two conference games remaining in the regular season, and beating one in particular -- No. 8 Ole Miss on Nov. 29 -- would strengthen its case as a playoff contender.

Cause for concern: Ohio State is among the programs lurking right behind the Bulldogs in the rankings. At this point, it doesn’t appear that the Bulldogs will play in the SEC championship game while other contenders like the Buckeyes or UCLA might. If those teams win out -- same with Big 12 juggernauts TCU and Baylor -- it might be difficult for State to hold on to one of the top four spots.

Who they’ll be rooting for this week: Indiana over Ohio State, Oklahoma State over Baylor, Boston College over Florida State

-- David Ching

Ole Miss

Record: 8-2 (4-2)

Rank: No. 8

Next big obstacle: Saturday at Arkansas

Reason for optimism: The weekend couldn’t have gone better for Ole Miss. The Rebels got to sit home, rest up and watch as Alabama beat Mississippi State and Georgia beat Auburn, keeping the door open for them to win the SEC West. If they win out and Auburn upsets Alabama in the Iron Bowl, they’re headed to Atlanta for the conference championship game. And with that could come a spot in the playoff.

Cause for concern: We still haven’t seen this Ole Miss team in a meaningful game without its star wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. How will the offense look? Can Bo Wallace keep playing at a high level sans his favorite target? The Rebels also have to avoid losing Saturday’s trap game at Arkansas. The Razorbacks are confident, coming off their first SEC win, and will be a dangerous opponent at home.

Who they’ll be rooting for this week: Oklahoma State over Baylor

-- Greg Ostendorf

Georgia

Record: 8-2 (6-2)

Rank: No. 10

Next big obstacle: Nov. 29 vs. Georgia Tech

Reason for optimism: Blowing out Auburn at home has restored faith in the playoff committee. The Bulldogs are back to playing like they should and if they win out, which would include making it to and winning the SEC championship game in Atlanta, there's a chance they'll make it in. Georgia is almost guaranteed to play a top-4 team in Atlanta, so a win would make it tough to keep the Dawgs out.

Cause for concern: Losses to South Carolina and Florida aren't great. They've combined to lose nine SEC games, and Florida is parting ways with coach Will Muschamp. The Bulldogs need help, though. There are a lot of teams in front of them that would need to lose. TCU, Baylor and Ohio State pose the biggest threats, but don't exactly have the most challenging schedules remaining. Georgia would have to win out and take the SEC.

Who they'll be rooting for this week: Tennessee over Missouri

-- Edward Aschoff