CFB: College football playoff paths
1. LSU (10-0, 6-0): The Tigers don’t need to worry about anyone besides themselves. They have four top-10 wins versus Texas, Florida, Auburn, and Alabama, and the best win of anyone in the country as they went into Tuscaloosa and beat the Crimson Tide. If LSU wins two of their next three versus Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Georgia, they’ll be in the CFP for the first time. They are nearly a lock for the playoff.
2. Ohio State (10-0, 7-0): The Buckeyes are in a similar boat but with a little less room for error. I’m not sure if Ohio State can lose a game. They don’t have as good of a résumé as LSU so a loss might drop them too far to come back from. With that said, Ohio State will be favored against Penn State, Michigan, and either Minnesota or Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. Just win and they'll be in. It's simple for the Buckeyes.
3. Clemson (11-0, 8-0): The Tigers are going to be in the playoff for the fifth straight year as they look to become the first team to win three CFP championships. Clemson gets a week off before they travel to face rival South Carolina. The Tigers just have to avoid a let down in that matchup and in the ACC title game. Given that they’ve won six straight games by 30+ points, they’re virtually a lock.
4. Georgia (9-1, 6-1): The Bulldogs have one more SEC game versus Texas A&M but they’ve already clinched the SEC East championship. They are the last team who just has to win and they’re in. If they can run the table against Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, and LSU in the SEC championship game, then there is no way the committee keeps them out for the second straight year. They have absolutely no room for error though.
5. Alabama (9-1, 6-1): The Crimson Tide are in a bad spot despite being ranked fifth right now. They will be without superstar quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the rest of the season, which still includes a road trip versus rival Auburn. That’s no easy task for Mac Jones and the rest of Nick Saban’s team. If they win out convincingly, while Georgia and Oregon all lose then they’ll probably be in. But they certainly need some help.
6. Oregon (9-1, 6-1): The Ducks are in a pretty good spot because they have a very good loss and a few good wins over Washington, Washington State, and USC. It’s not an amazing résumé but it’s better than Utah, Oklahoma, and Penn State. If they can beat Arizona State, Oregon State, and Utah, they should be one of the final teams being considered. To ensure a spot, they’ll need Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma to lose though.
7. Utah (9-1, 6-1): The Utes are a tough team because they would likely be undefeated if running back Zack Moss didn’t get hurt in their lone loss versus USC. But it’s hard to say that for certain and besides that, the Utes haven’t exactly created an impressive résumé. With a win over Oregon, they’d move up at least one spot but they would need Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Penn State to take a loss at some point.
8. Penn State (9-1, 6-1): The Nittany Lions remained alive by taking care of Indiana but it’s not looking good for them as they have to go on the road to play Ohio State. If Penn State can somehow pull off that upset, they would probably navigate their way into the playoff. They have a great loss versus Minnesota and high level wins over Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana. They would need losses from Georgia, Alabama, and Oregon.
9. Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1): The Sooners barely stayed in contention as they came back from down 28-3 to defeat then undefeated Baylor, 34-31, behind Jalen Hurts and an impressive half of defense. Now, with games against TCU and Oklahoma State before the Big 12 championship, the Sooners have a chance to get back to the CFP. They need to win out and have losses from Georgia, Alabama, and Oregon.
10. Minnesota (9-1, 6-1): The Golden Gophers suffered their first loss of the season 23-19 against Iowa on the road. It’s a pretty good loss but the committee already questioned Minnesota so them losing at all almost knocks then out of contention. I mean let's be honest, they aren't beating both Wisconsin and Ohio State, which is the only way they'd be considered. Still a good year for PJ Fleck’s team in his third season there.
Photo Credit: CBS Sports.
