Week 14 College Football Playoff Projection: Chaos reigns supreme
The college football world endured another round of chaos this weekend making it even more difficult to project how the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will rank the field come Tuesday night. In what has been the most unpredictable season in recent memory, it is anyone's guess as to who will eventually get a spot in the playoff.
Six teams in the top 25 of the rankings lost this weekend opening the door for tons of potential movement in the 12-team field.
One has to wonder what will happen to Indiana, for instance. Ranked No. 5 last week, the Hoosiers were unable to keep pace with No. 2 Ohio State in a 38-15 loss in Columbus. That was Indiana's first loss but it was also their only chance in the regular season to prove that they are a playoff-caliber team. Expect a big fall for the Hoosiers.
Meanwhile, No. 7 Alabama suffered a disastrous 24-3 loss to unranked Oklahoma. Now, the Crimson Tide sits at just 8-3 overall leading many to believe they should be on the outside looking in. However, others believe Bama's huge brand will help them get an at-large bid.
Another team that was in the playoff field last week was No. 9 Ole Miss. But after a 24-17 road loss to unranked Florida, the Rebels are likely going to fall out of the playoff picture now that they are 8-3 as well.
Meanwhile, teams just outside of the field, such as No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 16 Colorado also lost on the road to unranked teams. Also, presumed Big 12 favorite BYU, which was ranked No. 14 last week, took a loss at No. 21 Arizona State.
With all of that upheaval, how the playoff field will sit tomorrow night is anyone's guess. So let's take a shot at trying to project how the teams might stack up when the latest rankings are announced.
Rank | Team | Bid | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oregon | Big Ten Champ | 1 |
2 | Ohio State | At-Large | 2 |
3 | Texas | SEC Champ | 3 |
4 | Georgia | At-Large | 10 |
5 | Notre Dame | At-Large | 6 |
6 | Penn State | At-Large | 4 |
7 | Miami | ACC Champ | 8 |
8 | SMU | At-Large | 13 |
9 | Tennessee | At-Large | 11 |
10 | Boise State | MWC Champ | 12 |
11 | Clemson | At-Large | N/A |
12 | Arizona State | Big 12 Champ | N/A |
This weekend, the landscape will once again shift as it pertains to the playoff field. What's most important to Texas Tech fans is that, by the end of the weekend, we will know who will be in the Big 12 Championship Game.
What's more, the rivalry games across the nation will provide drama and undoubtedly bring more chaos into the equation. So it should be another can't-miss week of college football.
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