As we continue getting into the meat of conference play, even less becomes clear in the intermediate while possibilities fade out in the future. Every week, the number of teams that could potentially be a No.

The committee evaluates and compares teams with these factors: bad losses, common opponents, competitiveness in losses, early performance versus late performance, head-to-head outcomes, NET rankings, observable components, regional rankings, significant wins and strength of schedule.

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers go head-to-head on Friday night for a highly-anticipated SEC showdown. The No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks boast an 18-1 record. Their sole loss of the season belongs to a No.