The 2019 college football season is now hitting the stretch run and the number of teams fighting for the College Football Playoff is growing smaller each week.
Each week The Clemson Insider will take a look at the Road to New Orleans and analyze the teams that still have a shot to make the playoff.
All five Power 5 Conferences still have contenders with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Right now we have 11 contenders for the playoff. That number is higher at this point than in previous seasons.
The ACC is the only Power 5 Conference with only one contender. The Tigers need to go unbeaten to make the playoff this year because the conference is down.
The Pac-12 still has two contenders, Oregon and Utah, but both have a loss. They will need some help to have a team in the playoff.
The SEC and Big Ten have the most contenders with three, while the Big 12 has two one loss contenders.
The second CFP Committee rankings come out tonight at seven o’clock.
Who’s In?
If the College Football Playoff started this week the playoff would likely look like this:
- LSU
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Alabama/Georgia
We will find out tonight if the playoff committee agrees and learn where they put Alabama after the loss to LSU.
After the first rankings the CFP committee there was plenty of confusion as they used different criteria for different teams. Some were ranked based on their resume while other rankings were justified by the “eye test.” That makes it difficult to predict where teams will be ranked after the top three.
There are plenty of other contenders so let’s take a look at what the contenders look like after Week 11.
The Contenders
Atlantic Coast Conference
Clemson is once again undefeated and very much a contender for the playoff. The Tigers are the only ACC team with a shot for the playoff and they need to run the table to keep their hopes alive.
With Wake Forest losing to Virginia Tech the Tigers were able to win their fifth straight Atlantic Division title Saturday night. Some of the sizzle came off this week’s game against Wake Forest.
With Penn State falling the Tigers are in good shape to make the playoff. The biggest question now will be the seeding and if Clemson fans will have to travel to Arizona again or make the short trip to Atlanta. If LSU wins out and is No. 1 Clemson will need to be No. 4 to play in Atlanta. The Tigers will more likely be seeded two or three so a trip to Arizona looks likely at this time.
Clemson (10-0): Nov. 16 (vs. Wake Forest), Nov. 30 (at South Carolina)
SEC
LSU will likely move up to No. 1 in this week’s rankings after holding off Alabama. They controlled the game for most of the day but the Tide made it close in the fourth quarter.
Many in the media have already started the narrative about how Alabama should still make the playoff even though they lost to LSU. The committee used the “eye test” to rank Bama No. 3 ahead in the initial rankings. Alabama doesn’t have the strength of schedule to be a playoff team so the committee will have to use the “eye test” if they want to see the Tide in again.
Georgia remained alive with an easy win over Missouri. If they can win out and defeat LSU in the SEC Championship game they should be a lock to make the playoff. The Dawgs have a big test this week when they travel to Auburn. If Georgia falls to Auburn and then goes on to win the SEC then things will really get crazy.
The SEC is in great shape to get a team in the playoff. The question is will they get two?
Alabama (8-1): Nov. 16 (at Miss. State), Nov. 23 (vs. Western Carolina), Nov. 30 (at Auburn)
LSU (9-0): Nov. 16 (at Miss.), Nov. 23 (vs. Ark.), Nov. 30 (vs. Texas A&M)
Georgia (8-1): Nov. 16 (at Auburn), Nov. 23 (vs. Texas A&M), Nov. 30 (at Georgia Tech)
Big 12
The Big 12’s chances of making the playoff were on life support Saturday as Baylor struggled to get its overtime win over TCU. Baylor survived and kept its chances alive.
Oklahoma was not impressive but held off a late rally by Iowa State.
Baylor and Oklahoma will battle this Saturday and could play again in the Big 12 Championship Game.
If Oklahoma wins out and takes the Big 12 championship it will need some help to make the playoff. If Baylor can run the table and finish undefeated they will have a strong case, but it will certainly not be a lock.
Baylor (9-0): Nov. 16 (vs. Oklahoma), Nov. 23 (vs. Texas), Nov. 30 (at Kansas)
Oklahoma (8-1): Nov. 16 (at Baylor), Nov. 23 (vs. TCU), Nov. 30 (at Okl. State)
Big Ten
Minnesota is now a serious contender to make the playoff. With their win over Penn State they now control their destiny. If they can win out and win the Big Ten championship they will likely make the playoff.
Penn State surprised some by coming in No. 4 in the CFP committee’s first rankings, but the loss to Minnesota will make it difficult for them to make the playoff. They will need a win over Ohio State and some help to make the playoff.
The Big Ten is positioned well to have at least one team in the playoff.
Ohio State (9-0): Nov. 16 (at Rutgers), Nov. 23 (vs. Penn State), Nov. 30 (at Michigan)
Minnesota (9-0): Nov. 16 (at Iowa), Nov. 23 (at Northwestern), Nov. 30 (vs. Wisconsin)
Penn State (8-1): Nov. 16 (vs. Indiana), Nov. 23 (at Ohio State), Nov. 30 (vs. Rutgers)
Pac-12
With Penn State’s loss the chances of a Pac-12 team reaching the playoffs increased. One loss Oregon and Utah remain contenders. In order to make the playoff one of these teams will need to run the table and win the Pac-12. They are on a collision course to meet in the Pac-12 championship game.
The Pac-12 will need some help to make the playoff but they are in the chase.
Oregon (8-1): Nov. 16 (vs. Arizona), Nov. 23 (at Arizona State) Nov. 30 (vs. Oregon State)
Utah (8-1): Nov. 16 (vs. UCLA), Nov. 23 (at Arizona) Nov. 30 (vs. Colorado)
Independent
Notre Dame’s bad loss to Michigan meant there are no independent candidates to make the playoff.
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