Rivalry Weekend, along with Thanksgiving, and Black Friday have all come and gone, leaving in their departure one team (Oklahoma) that’s all but clinched a spot in the second ever College Football Playoff and seven teams alive and vying to join the Sooners and fill the three remaining slots. The Sooners had no problems with in-state rival Oklahoma State last Saturday and are now undisputed Big12 champs. At this point, there is literally zero chance the Sooners get left out no matter what happens this weekend. Big12 officials, see what happens when a league has an undisputed champ? Last season, despite losing only once and being ranked in the top 5 for a good part of the season Baylor and TCU shared the title and were left out of the playoff due to the league refusing to declare a single champion. Of course, it helps this season that it’s a premier brand like OU and not a Baylor or a TCU.
So, who are those seven teams and what do they need to claim their playoff spot? Read on to see my take. Now, on to the rankings!
TOP 4 – In with a win
1. CLEMSON – Early on it looked like the Tigers would blow South Carolina off the map. But, there was no quit in the Gamecocks. What looked like a blow out turned into a game that was probably a lot closer than Clemson coach Dabo Swinney would have liked. Have the Tigers played it a little close to the best lately? Maybe. Playing close to the best probably won’t cut it against an underrated Tar Heels defense.
2. OKLAHOMA – The Sooners have the luxury of being able to sit back, relax and watch all of the action unfold this weekend. Question now is who will they play and where? It could likely be Miami due to their close proximity to North Texas.
3. ALABAMA – The Tide struggled against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Especially, against the Tigers improving defense. Balance offensively remains the biggest concern for this team. Heisman hopeful Derrick Henry had another huge day. But, will Jake Coker continue to make plays when he has to and stay away from turnovers? Hard to imagine Florida having much success against Bama’s D. However, the Gators D capable of shutting down everyone in crimson not named Derrick Henry.
4. MICHIGAN STATE – The Spartans handled their business against a pretty lame Penn State squad. Which was still pretty impressive coming off the emotional win over Ohio State. Still, lots of questions remain about Spartans and their senior QB, Connor Cook.
5. IOWA – The Hawkeyes were less than impressive Friday at Nebraska. But, did enough to get the win. Even though, Iowa really only has few ok wins a win over Michigan State in the Big Ten title game should be enough.
Needs Help
6. OHIO STATE – The Buckeyes are hanging by the thinnest of thread. But, a loss by Bama and Clemson could keep their hopes of repeating alive.
7. STANFORD – The Cardinal have two losses. So, the odds of them making it are very slim. However, their case could be compelling against Ohio State if Bama and Clemson lose. Wins over Notre Dame, UCLA, and twice over USC would be more impressive than anything the the Buckeyes have to offer.
8. NORTH CAROLINA – The Heels would have to be mighty foggy and jump a lot of teams. But, a win over Clemson, if the committee keeps them at number one, would be huge. However, could the committee ignore the opening night loss to South Carolina?
So, there you have it. It will be interesting to see if the committee keeps Clemson number one. Oklahoma playing close to home in the semifinals is a dilemma. It’s very possible the committee could swap Bama and Clemson, or Clemson and Oklahoma to keep everything balanced as far as proximity to campus is concerned.
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