Who’s still alive in the chase to get into the 2020-2021 College Football Playoff?
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Next week it’s really on when the Pac-12 adds its two-cents into the mix.
As always, the ground rules for this are 1) win your Power Five championship and go unbeaten and you’re almost certainly in, or 2) finish with one loss and a Power Five championship and you’re probably in, or 3) lose one game in the SEC, Big Ten or ACC and as long as that’s it, you have a shot.
Everyone else is playing for the joy of college football.
– Teams That Haven’t Played Yet
– Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam
– The Group of Five hopefuls
– One-loss teams still alive
– Unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
Teams that haven’t played yet, but really don’t have a shot at the College Football Playoff
No. Just … no.
MAC
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami University, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Teams that haven’t played yet, but have a chance
With a short season, go 7-0 with a Pac-12 championship and there’s a shot. 6-1 and ehhhhhhh.
Pac-12
Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
– Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam
– The Group of Five hopefuls
– One-loss teams still alive
– Unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
NEXT: Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam …
Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam …
These teams are either Power Five programs with multiple losses or Group of Five programs with one loss.
Unless something insane happens, these 78 teams are out of the College Football Playoff hunt.
ACC
Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
American Athletic Conference
East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Tulane, Temple, Tulsa, UCF, USF
Big Ten
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State
Big 12
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia,
Conference USA
Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA, WKU, (Old Dominion not playing in 2020)
Independents
Army, (New Mexico State, UConn not playing in 2020. UMass
Mountain West
Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
SEC
Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM
– The Group of Five hopefuls
– One-loss teams still alive
– Unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
NEXT: Group of Five hopefuls
Group of Five College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six hopefuls
Ranking the Group of Five programs still alive – sort of – in the College Football Playoff chase, but more realistically, the teams in the hunt for the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bowl slot are …
American Athletic Conference
Ranked in order of most possible to least
1. Cincinnati
Realistically alive for the New Year’s Six Bowl
2. SMU
3. Tulsa
Conference USA
1. Marshall
Realistically alive for the New Year’s Six Bowl
2. Florida Atlantic
3. Rice
Independents
1. BYU
2. Liberty
Mountain West
1. Boise State
2. San Diego State
3. Nevada
4. San Jose State
Realistically alive for the New Year’s Six Bowl
5. Wyoming
6. Hawaii
7, Fresno State
8, Colorado State
9. New Mexico
Sun Belt
1. Coastal Carolina
Alive for the New Year’s Six Bowl
2. Appalachian State
3. Louisiana
– Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam
– One-loss teams still alive
– Unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
NEXT: One Loss Teams That Have a Shot … Technically
One loss teams that have a shot … technically
Run the table and finish the season with one loss and a conference championship, and that should get the job done. If any of these teams win out and take a Power Five championship, it’ll be almost a near-certain lock to get in. Lose again, though, and that’s it.
Florida (3-1)
When it’ll all be over: If it’s not this week against Georgia, then you’re going to have to wait until the SEC Championship. A two-loss season if the loss to – say, Alabama – in the title game might still get it done.
Georgia (4-1)
When it’ll all be over: See the Florida write-up and apply to the Dawgs.
Maryland (1-1)
When it’ll all be over: Who say that coming against Minnesota? That was fun, but at Penn State and Ohio State are up next.
Miami (5-1)
When it’ll all be over: This might not be a high-flying Hurricane team, but it’s solid. It’ll lose once over the next month with three road games in the next four, including away games against NC State and Virginia Tech next.
Michigan (1-1)
Will it happen? Don’t bury the Wolverines quite yet. They’re still better than Indiana – that’s up next – and who knows what shape Wisconsin is going to be in. Penn State is at home, and they’re not going to lose to Rutgers or Maryland. In other words, don’t be shocked if they’re 6-1 going into the Ohio State game/loss.
Michigan State (1-1)
When it’ll all be over: Wow … okay. It seemed like it would be all over with a trip to Ann Arbor, but nope. Going to Iowa against a desperate 0-2 team is a problem, and Indiana is up next, but all of a sudden, it’s possible
Nebraska (0-1)
When it’ll all be over: At least the team is rested. It almost certainly will miss Wisconsin – that’s a nice break – but still has to deal with Penn State. However, that’s in Lincoln, and there isn’t a game on the slate that’s not winnable.
Oklahoma State (4-1)
Will it happen? Nope. Four of the last five games are on the road with Kansas State and Oklahoma up the next two weeks.
Rutgers (1-1)
Will it happen? It’s Rutgers. That it is even on this part of the list is a minor miracle. That ends at Ohio State next week.
Texas A&M (5-1)
When it’ll all be over: As the warning keeps being sounded, watch out. The Aggies have to go to South Carolina and Tennessee, they’re better than those two, Ole Miss and LSU are winnable, and it all closes out against Auburn on the road. Don’t be shocked if that date in Jordan-Hare is for 9-1 and a shot at being right on the CFP doorstep.
– Finished. Done. Let’s go take a steam
– The Group of Five hopefuls
– Unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
NEXT: The unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders …
The unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders
Going unbeaten with a Power Five championship will all but guarantee an invite into the College Football Playoff.
Alabama (6-0)
Will it happen? The team is making everything look easy. Going to LSU is still going to LSU, but not really. Kentucky, Auburn, at Arkansas … Bama will be 10-0 going into the SEC Championship.
Clemson (7-0)
Will it happen? Yeah, but now it doesn’t seem quite as easy. If they can have that many problems with Boston College, can they roll by both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech on the road? Three of the last four games, and four of the last five – if there’s an ACC Championship appearance – are away from Death Valley and … it’s Clemson. It’s not losing twice, if at all.
Indiana (2-0)
Will it happen? Well, okay … look at who’s rolling with Michigan coming into Bloomington? It won’t happen. Michigan, at Michigan State, at Ohio State, and at Wisconsin are all still to come.
Northwestern (2-0)
Will it happen? Don’t laugh … the Wildcats might at least hang around longer than you might think. Nebraska is up next, then at Purdue. Wisconsin is as iffy as it gets, and road games at Michigan State and Minnesota follow, and then Illinois to close, and … nah, but the Big Ten West is alive.
Notre Dame (6-0)
Will it happen? It’s on. The Irish don’t have to beat Clemson this week, but they’re going to have to – most likely – split the two games if they get to the ACC Championship and beat everyone else. Three of the last four games are on the road, and none of them – Boston College, North Carolina, Wake Forest – are gimmes.
Ohio State (2-0)
Will it happen? It’s going to take something miraculous to beat this team twice. It’s going to roll through the schedule until going to Michigan State and facing Michigan to close out the regular season, and even then it’ll take something big to keep this team from being unbeaten in the Big Ten Championship.
Purdue (2-0)
Will it happen? Will the Boilermakers actually have to play Wisconsin next week? If not, then it’s Game On to at least have some fun. There’s no Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State or Ohio State on the slate.
Wisconsin (1-0)
Will it happen? There are way, way too many issues to think the Badgers can still be in the College Football Playoff chase considering the Purdue game this week is questionable at best. However, if they’re back, they can roll through the rest of the slate – including at Michigan.
