Each week, we’ll take a look at the credible and not-so-credible threats to the SEC’s playoff aspirations, based on the now-retired Homeland Security Advisory System. (Here’s a longer explanation.)

Two ranked teams fell this week, including one outside the SEC.

Arizona State, playing without starting quarterback Taylor Kelly, made UCLA and Brett Hundley look like the national contender and Heisman Trophy frontrunner we thought they’d be before the season. (Hey, wait, the Bruins haven’t lost. Maybe they still are. More on that below.)

Florida State trailed at North Carolina State, 24-7, after the first quarter Saturday before a Jameis Winston-led rally, and Stanford handed Washington its first loss in typical Cardinal fashion.

Overall, it was a boring weekend nationally. Status quo has been an appropriate term for those at the top. Seven teams have occupied the top seven spots in the major polls for the last three weeks, and only Georgia has fallen from that group in the last four weeks.

Oklahoma (at TCU) and Oregon (vs. Arizona) both face unbeaten conference foes this week after not playing Saturday, so next week could be more interesting.

RELATED: Herbstreit down to one SEC team in CFP projection

Scanning The Good Guys: Not that anyone doubted Steve Spurrier, but South Carolina lost a second game before October and no longer has a chance to make the four-team field. Georgia kept alive the SEC East’s scant hopes for a playoff spot by outlasting Tennessee at home.

The SEC West took a deep breath with Alabama and Mississippi State off and Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU facing non-conference foes as at least three-score favorites. Texas A&M did potentially relegate Arkansas to the bottom of the SEC West for yet another season.

Now for the terrorists.

THREAT LEVEL: SEVERE

Severe risk of terrorist attacks.

Oklahoma: I get it. If you’re reading this, you’re probably an SEC fan. But I don’t see the logic in ranking Alabama ahead of the Sooners (4-0, 1-0). Oklahoma crushed the Tide as more than a two-score underdog in January. If you want to throw out that result (it is a new season and perhaps Alabama wasn’t motivated), Oklahoma looked at least as impressive against a common opponent, West Virginia, this year. And the Sooners did it on the road, while Alabama got WVU in a de facto home game in the Georgia Dome. Each team bested a middling SEC East team by a comfortable margin and played two automatic wins against smaller programs. Alabama faces a much tougher schedule the rest of the season, but if the season ended today, Oklahoma would get into the playoff ahead of Alabama.

Oregon: The close game against Washington State doesn’t look as alarming today as it did last week, as the Cougars played well in a road win against Utah. Still, the Ducks have looked susceptible on defense and along the offensive line in spurts against both its power conference opponents. But QB Marcus Mariota exits September healthy and unbeaten, which makes Oregon a major threat.

THREAT LEVEL: HIGH

High risk of terrorist attacks.

Michigan State: The Spartans rank in the Top 10 in both polls and have a chance to reintroduce themselves to the nation as a major contender Saturday at home against No. 19 Nebraska (5-0). Beat the Cornhuskers, the lone Big Ten team without a loss, and Michigan State can clip through the rest of October (Purdue, Indiana, Michigan) and wait for other Top 10 teams with more difficult schedules to fall. A one-loss Spartans team with the lone loss at Oregon early in the year will look more and more attractive as the season progresses, but the team must keep winning.

Baylor: If Oklahoma takes care of TCU on Saturday, the Bears likely won’t face a Top 25 opponent until Nov. 8 in what may be a play-in game between the two Big 12 powerhouses. Baylor’s offense has scored at least 45 points every game and is enough to carry the team against unranked foes.

THREAT LEVEL: ELEVATED

Significant risk of terrorist attacks.

Florida State: The Seminoles haven’t lost since Nov. 24, 2012, and the defending Heisman Trophy winner plays quarterback for them. But FSU has been playing with matches around a giant tank of gasoline, first against Oklahoma State, then Clemson, then this week, trailing N.C. State deep into the third quarter. Notre Dame and Everett Golson are playing well enough to pose a major threat Oct. 18, and road games against Louisville and Miami can’t be assumed at this point. The Seminoles will make the playoff by winning, but aren’t one of the four best teams in the country right now, so we’ve downgraded them.

Nebraska: Arkansas fans won’t want to hear this, but Bo Pelini’s team is like a rich man’s version of the Razorbacks. Ameer Abdullah has three 200-yard rushing games in five outings. No, the Cornhuskers haven’t played a difficult schedule. But a win next week at Michigan State would take care of that and elevate a 6-0 Nebraska into the national conversation immediately. It’s a win-win for the Big Ten, because at least one of these teams — the winner of Saturday’s game — becomes nationally relevant.

BYU: The tame weekend nationally did the Cougars (4-0) few favors. BYU will host Utah State, interesting because of the quarterback matchup (Taysom Hill against Chuckie Keeton). It hurts the Cougars more that no Top 10 teams are losing than it helps them to keep winning.

UCLA: The Bruins are exasperating. But UCLA finally looked explosive Thursday, with some help from a poor Arizona State pass defense and a backup Sun Devils quarterback who made a few critical throws. After winning three games by an average of six points, UCLA gets nine days to enjoy a 62-27 road blowout against a Top 15 team. A win this weekend as a comfortable home favorite sets up a game between the 5-0 Bruins and the 5-0 Ducks in Los Angeles. As poorly as UCLA has played, Hundley and company have a fighting chance to launch into the top six or seven in the next two weeks.

THREAT LEVEL: GUARDED

General risk of terrorist attacks.

Wisconsin: Remember before the season when you kept hearing about the Badgers (3-1) as a sleeper nationally? And how much of that was tied to the team’s weak schedule? Well, Wisconsin is a poor quarter or two against LSU away from being UCLA. The Badgers do not play another ranked team until Nov. 15 (at home against Nebraska). LSU’s recent struggles hurt, but without a Big Ten loss, Wisconsin can work its way back toward the Top 10 in the next month in spite of itself.

THREAT LEVEL: LOW

Low risk of terrorist attacks.

Kansas/Michigan: Charlie Weis won the jackpot. It looked certain that Brady Hoke would beat Weis and Will Muschamp to the unemployment line after the Wolverines embarrassed themselves in a 30-14 home loss to Minnesota. Hoke invited criticism from even his most loyal supporters in the way he handled quarterback Shane Morris, and that’s after an embarrassing Coca-Cola promotion that gave away tickets for less than $5. Yet Weis trumped Hoke when his athletic director said this: “I normally do not favor changing coaches midseason. But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin making progress right away.” In other words, he’d wait until the end of the season, but Weis is so poisonous even to Kansas that the team needs to get rid of him immediately.

SMU: The Mustangs may not leave this list all season. First, coach June Jones resigned two games into the year. Then, Eric Dickerson ironically called for the team to start paying players or shut down. Yes, he advocated cheating as a means to revive SMU’s program, a program that went to four consecutive bowl games through 2012. Then SMU played Texas A&M and TCU. The team has lost its four games by an average of 51-3. Up next? A road game against a ranked East Carolina team, followed by Cincinnati and quarterback Gunner Kiel. SMU could end the season as one of the worst FBS teams in years.

UMass/Miami (Ohio): There aren’t many 0-5 teams in all of FBS. Three, in fact. Worse still, the Minutemen have the distinction of being the only team to lose to Vanderbilt this season, and one of two — along with Hawaii — to lose to Colorado. One of the other 0-5 teams, the Redhawks host UMass on Saturday in a matchup rife with ineptitude. Somebody’s got to win. Right?

Troy: Again, Larry Blakeney, this has to be your final season. The Trojans at least played Louisiana-Monroe close. But this year, Troy loses, whether its to an SEC power, Abilene Christian or anything in between. The Trojans rank 121st of 128 in points scored and 123rd of 128 in points allowed. At least they’re consistent. And thank goodness for SMU.