So here we are ... Thanksgiving week and the final week of the regular season. It goes by so so fast.
Playoff rankings are out, so let's get this thread started.
ACC
SMU has clinched its spot in the ACC title game. Miami can join the Mustangs with a win over Syracuse. A Miami loss would send Clemson to the ACC title game.
After last week's carnage, SMU or Miami could probably survive a loss in the championship game and still make the CFP. And Clemson now has a chance to get in as an at-large.
B1G
It's looking like an Oregon-Ohio State rematch in the B1G title game. If Ohio State falters (again) against Michigan, Penn State can get in with a win. Indiana is waiting if both Ohio State and Penn State fall.
Regardless, it's a good bet that all four of these teams have tickets to the CFP, unless Purdue somehow stuns Indiana.
BIG 12
The Big 12 is getting - at most - one team in, so winning the conference is the only path. Right now, there's a four-way tie atop the conference with Arizona State, BYU, Colorado and Iowa State. But figuring it all out is ... complicated.
Arizona State and Iowa State should be in good shape to meet in the title game if each wins ... unless BYU loses and Colorado wins. That opens scenarios where Colorado could meet one of them in the title game. Colorado would also get in if two of the other three lose. BYU needs an Arizona State or Iowa State loss. And I don't even want to think about what happens if all four lose.
SEC
OK, back to a simple conference race. The winner of the long-awaited renewal of the rivalry between Texas-Texas A&M will face Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Texas is probably in the CFP no matter what now. A&M's only path is to win the conference. Georgia and Tennessee clinch spots with wins this week, but Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt have already played spoiler before. Alabama and Ole Miss were part of the chaos last week; now each has to hope for more chaos this week. And I guess it would be remiss to not mention South Carolina, but with losses to both Bama and Ole Miss it's a pretty steep climb for the Gamecocks to reach the CFP.
Other
Bubble teams will be pulling hard for USC to pull the upset. That Northern Illinois loss would rear its ugly head for the Irish if they suffer another defeat.
Boise State will likely meet UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. If the Broncos win out, they have a shot at getting the #4 seed in the playoff. But if they falter, either here or in the MW title game, that could open the door for Tulane to grab one of the automatic bids as American champ (assuming the Green Wave beat Memphis and then Army in the conference title game). Heck, as pointed out on ESPN, even if Boise State wins out, Tulane could benefit from the Big 12 chaos and grab a spot over the Big 12 champ.
Playoff rankings are out, so let's get this thread started.
ACC
- #6 Miami at Syracuse
- #9 SMU vs. California
- #12 Clemson vs. #15 South Carolina
SMU has clinched its spot in the ACC title game. Miami can join the Mustangs with a win over Syracuse. A Miami loss would send Clemson to the ACC title game.
After last week's carnage, SMU or Miami could probably survive a loss in the championship game and still make the CFP. And Clemson now has a chance to get in as an at-large.
B1G
- #1 Oregon vs. Washington
- #2 Ohio State vs. Michigan
- #4 Penn State vs. Maryland
- #10 Indiana vs. Purdue
It's looking like an Oregon-Ohio State rematch in the B1G title game. If Ohio State falters (again) against Michigan, Penn State can get in with a win. Indiana is waiting if both Ohio State and Penn State fall.
Regardless, it's a good bet that all four of these teams have tickets to the CFP, unless Purdue somehow stuns Indiana.
BIG 12
- #16 Arizona State at Arizona
- #18 Iowa State vs. #24 Kansas State
- #19 BYU vs. Houston
- #25 Colorado vs. Oklahoma State (Friday)
The Big 12 is getting - at most - one team in, so winning the conference is the only path. Right now, there's a four-way tie atop the conference with Arizona State, BYU, Colorado and Iowa State. But figuring it all out is ... complicated.
Arizona State and Iowa State should be in good shape to meet in the title game if each wins ... unless BYU loses and Colorado wins. That opens scenarios where Colorado could meet one of them in the title game. Colorado would also get in if two of the other three lose. BYU needs an Arizona State or Iowa State loss. And I don't even want to think about what happens if all four lose.
SEC
- #3 Texas at #20 Texas A&M
- #7 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech (Friday)
- #8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt
- #13 Alabama vs. Auburn
- #14 Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State (Friday)
OK, back to a simple conference race. The winner of the long-awaited renewal of the rivalry between Texas-Texas A&M will face Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Texas is probably in the CFP no matter what now. A&M's only path is to win the conference. Georgia and Tennessee clinch spots with wins this week, but Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt have already played spoiler before. Alabama and Ole Miss were part of the chaos last week; now each has to hope for more chaos this week. And I guess it would be remiss to not mention South Carolina, but with losses to both Bama and Ole Miss it's a pretty steep climb for the Gamecocks to reach the CFP.
Other
- #5 Notre Dame at USC
- #11 Boise State vs. Oregon State (Friday)
- #17 Tulane vs. Memphis (Thursday)
- #22 UNLV vs. Nevada
Bubble teams will be pulling hard for USC to pull the upset. That Northern Illinois loss would rear its ugly head for the Irish if they suffer another defeat.
Boise State will likely meet UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. If the Broncos win out, they have a shot at getting the #4 seed in the playoff. But if they falter, either here or in the MW title game, that could open the door for Tulane to grab one of the automatic bids as American champ (assuming the Green Wave beat Memphis and then Army in the conference title game). Heck, as pointed out on ESPN, even if Boise State wins out, Tulane could benefit from the Big 12 chaos and grab a spot over the Big 12 champ.
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