Ad Disclosure
On Tuesday night, the College Football Playoff committee will release its latest rankings, and while the top four should stay the same, several previous candidates fell from contention.
Here’s the current projection of the College Football Playoff with the remaining schedules for the contenders:
THE FOUR FRONTRUNNERS
1. Clemson — Last week, Clemson looked like the best team in the country. That’s not as clear now, but the Tigers still top the list. Clemson knocked off Syracuse 37-27 on Saturday in a game closer than expected. The Tigers finish the regular season with Wake Forest and South Carolina before playing sizzling North Carolina for the ACC championship.
2. Alabama — The Crimson Tide made a statement on Saturday. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Alabama rise to No.1 with the committee after a dominating 31-6 win over then-No. 20 Mississippi State. Alabama executed well in all phases of the game. The Tide looks dangerous at the right time. Next week, Alabama faces FCS powerhouse Charleston Southern, then it closes with the regular season with the Iron Bowl in Auburn before a likely date with Florida in the SEC Championship Game.
3. Ohio State — The tough games have arrived for the Buckeyes, who remain in the No. 3 spot. They play No. 9 Michigan State at home on Saturday then and close out the regular season at No. 14 Michigan. Barring a loss to the Spartans, they’re guaranteed a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa.
4. Oklahoma State — The Cowboys have been creeping toward the top all season. They barely escaped with a win at Iowa State, but own a victory over No. 11 Texas Christian on their resume. The next two weeks are pivotal for Oklahoma State, which takes on No. 1o Baylor and No. 7 Oklahoma. If the Cowboys win both, they make the Playoff.
ON THE CUSP
Notre Dame — The committee has been high on the Fighting Irish, who have played a tough schedule with its sole loss at Clemson. But the Irish still have a game at No. 15 Stanford. If they win, they most likely make it. But if not, there’s no chance. Notre Dame also plays Boston College next week.
Oklahoma — Coming off a huge win at Baylor, the Sooners are getting hot at the right time. They close out the year with pivotal games against No. 11 TCU and No. 4 Oklahoma State. If they win those, they are likely in, but it will be a tough road.
Iowa — Another week passed with the Hawkeyes still undefeated. They squeezed out a close win over Minnesota and finish the year against Purdue and at Nebraska, which beat Michigan State, needs a victory to be bowl eligible and has a week off to prepare. Winning the Big Ten championship with an unbeaten record would put the Hawkeyes into the Playoff.
LONGSHOTS
Baylor — The Bears, who lost at home to Oklahoma, need help. They have a chance if they win out, including victories over Oklahoma State and TCU, and Oklahoma loses at Oklahoma State.
Florida — The Gators remain in the hunt after a plodding victory over South Carolina. But they’ll have to beat Florida State then knock off the SEC West champion in the SEC Championship Game.
Houston — The Cougars gained credibility with Saturday’s victory over Memphis. They also beat Vanderbilt 34-0 the week before SEC East champion Florida needed a late field goal at home to slip past the Commodores 9-7. If the Cougars beat once-beaten Navy in the regular-season finale, they’ll play Temple in the AAC title game. If still undefeated, the Cougars can make a legitimate case over once-beaten contenders.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
