Mel & Todd: Who's better, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson or Michigan?

— -- Throughout the college football season, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay kick off each week by settling a debate, looking at emerging NFL prospects and peeking ahead to next week.

Among this week's topics: Which team is the best among the AP top four -- Alabama, Clemson, Michigan or Ohio State?

Who would win a battle royale among Bama, Clemson, Michigan and Ohio State?

In this cage match, I'll go with Alabama ... if the game is played tomorrow.

I'm not sold on Clemson yet. The Tigers have some talent -- three guys on my latest Big Board -- but they haven't played complete games this season. They have struggled offensively for long stretches of games, and have become too reliant on Deshaun Watson's running. (He had another 14 carries on Saturday night.) They were also fortunate to win against Louisville and I don't like their chances if that's a neutral-field game. I just don't see Clemson as national title contenders yet, and they'd be my pick as the first one out of the battle royale.

Michigan and Ohio State are fighting for second here. Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer are going to have them in title contention for years to come, but Ohio State looks like the better team right now, and the scary thing is they are really young and could be the best team in the country by November. For now I'll go with Nick Saban's squad. The defending national champs have elite, mature talent all over -- particularly on defense, where they are the best unit in the country right now -- and the Crimson Tide's veteran stars would topple the other teams' young studs.

But that's right now. Teams evolve and if Bama doesn't get consistent QB play it could fall to any of these teams in a playoff setting in a few months.

My initial instinct was to pick Alabama, too. Nick Saban's team has a defense that can shut you down and an offense that can put up 40 if it needs to. While the Crimson Tide have three tough games over the next three weeks (at Arkansas, at Tennessee, vs. Texas A&M), they're clear favorites to represent the SEC in the College Football Playoff.

Clemson deserves to be in this conversation too after rising to the challenge against a really good Louisville team on Saturday night in Death Valley. I wouldn't count the Tigers out of anything after they found a way to win 19 of their past 20 games, with the lone loss coming to Alabama last season (by just five points). Even though QB Deshaun Watson hasn't been as consistent as you'd hope in 2016, he makes plays when they need to be made. But I'm going with Ohio State. Because of its inexperience, we're still figuring out its ceiling on a week-to-week basis.

But it's evident the Buckeyes have matured a ton since the start of the season, with their 58-0 blowout win over Rutgers being the latest example. I'd expect them to continue to get better, and with the Michigan game in Columbus this year, I still like their chances to win the Big Ten. If that all happens, it'll mean the Buckeyes are battle-tested, with wins over Michigan and Wisconsin on their resume. And it'll also mean these young pups are as good as advertised. Ohio State has the talent to hang with Bama on the field, and the coaching to match wits schematically. A rematch of the 2014 College Football Playoff Championship could very well end up with Urban Meyer toppling Saban ... again.

Prospect on the rise

Cunningham was all over the field in the loss to Florida, with 14 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Cunningham is a fourth-year junior who is my No. 3 inside linebacker for the 2017 draft. At 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, he has good read-and-react ability and doesn't waste time in diagnosing plays. He's a smart player who takes on blocks well. I see him as a three-down linebacker in the NFL. Looking for a comparison? How about Jamie Collins, whom the Patriots took in the second round out of Southern Miss in 2013. Collins is a star on the rise, and so is Cunningham.

Lewis' highlight-reel interception to seal Michigan's win over Wisconsin was epic. I haven't seen a play like that in person in a long time. But it wasn't just that pick. Lewis was left on an island as the boundary corner for four quarters, and he was Velcro. Wisconsin stopped testing him for a long portion of the game until the coverage and game situation dictated QB Alex Hornibrook to take a vertical shot down the left sideline -- and that's when The Pick happened. Lewis is undersized, but I haven't seen a better man-to-man cover corner in college football this season. I would be thrilled to get him on Day 2 of the 2017 draft.

Almost famous

This kid is interesting. He played tight end and linebacker in high school, then went to Fork Union Military Academy for a year, where he switched to defensive end. At Youngstown State, the 6-4, 255-pound end just keeps putting up big numbers. Rivers has 27 sacks over the past three seasons, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. In the loss to South Dakota on Saturday, he impressed me in every area, and he was much more disruptive than stats indicated. He just kept blowing up plays. He plays bigger than he is and generates a lot of power in his pass rush. He's double-teamed on every play, but he still finds a way to beat those blockers. I'll be keeping a close eye on him the rest of the season.

He's the "other guy" on A&M's defensive line. Myles Garrett rightfully gets all the attention for the Aggies, but Hall is a highly talented defensive end with a lot of edge-rushing ability. Garrett sat out Saturday's game vs. South Carolina with an injury, which gave Hall the stage. He responded with 3.5 TFLs, including 2.0 sacks. Hall will be an early-round prospect in 2017.

The big question for next week

Kiper: Are the Huskies for real?

I think they are, but they've got another tough test on Saturday. Washington is coming off a huge win, blowing out Stanford 44-6 at home, and now it's headed to play Oregon at Autzen. The Ducks have lost three straight, but they're tough to beat at home. If the Huskies take them to the woodshed, I think they're headed for the College Football Playoff. Who else will beat them in the Pac-12? They do have some tough road games looming -- at Utah, Cal, and Washington State -- but they're talented enough to win out and not have a letdown, especially in the secondary. Sidney Jones and Budda Baker are future NFL starters.

McShay: Can Brad Kaaya and Miami take advantage of Florida State's defense?

The Seminoles' D has allowed 63, 35 and 37 in their past three games (Louisville, South Florida and North Carolina), so it's the understatement of the season to say this group isn't living up to expectations. But it's still the most talented group that Kaaya has faced this season, and I'm interested in seeing how he handles the speed/pressure. The Canes haven't been relevant for a long time, and while this wouldn't be a signature win given Florida State's recent struggles, it would definitely give Miami more national credibility.