Tennessee football lost its second game of the season on Saturday. The Vols fell to Georgia 31-17 in a game that could determine Tennessee’s fate in the College Football Playoff.
Besides Tennessee’s drop in rankings, almost everything stays the same in All For Tennessee’s projected CFP field. I left out Penn State in last week’s ranking, so they have returned, and as a result, no one else moved into the top 12.
The rest of the SEC, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss, are all fighting for the final one or two spots in the CFP. It’s likely one two-loss SEC team will be left out, but it might come down to who, not how many.
Right now, the picture is clear from our perspective. Ole Miss is left out with its losses coming to 4-6 Kentucky and 6-4 LSU. The Rebels’ best win is at home against Georgia, but those two bad losses cancel out the good win unless they can prove they belong in the final couple of weeks.
The CFP has been expanded to 12 teams, here’s how it will look: Power 4 conference champions receive automatic bids and the top four rankings. The top Group of Five champion is the fifth team to receive an automatic bid, while seeds six through 12 are all at-large bids. Seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through twelve in the first round.
Rank
Team
Why They Are Here
Previous Rank
1
Oregon Ducks
Big Ten Champion
1
2
Texas Longhorns
SEC Champion
2
3
Miami Hurricanes
ACC Champion
3
4
BYU Cougars
Big 12 Champion
4
5
Ohio State Buckeyes
At-Large
5
6
Indiana Hoosiers
At-Large
6
7
Penn State Nittany Lions
At-Large
NR
8
Georgia Bulldogs
At-Large
8
9
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
At-Large
9
10
Tennessee Volunteers
At-Large
7
11
Alabama Crimson Tide
At-Large
11
12
Boise State Broncos
At-Large
12
On The Bubble
SMU is geared up for a run at the ACC Championship, which will be their only chance at making the 12-team College Football Playoff. The committee isn’t giving the Mustangs any respect in its rankings, so they will likely have to win the ACC to get in, and that’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Ole Miss is also looking to sneak into the playoffs. Another upset within the top 12 could open the door for the Rebels to make their CFP debut, but they will have to win out to give themselves any chance at making the dance.
Colorado is on the outskirts, battling for what will likely be the lone Big 12 playoff spot. The Buffaloes have quietly put together a dominant second half of the season and allowed themselves to sneak into the playoffs and earn a Big 12 Championship.
Army is the only real threat to Boise State’s spot in the top 12 at this point in the season. The Black Knights have the opportunity to get a major upset against Notre Dame this weekend and officially throw its name in the ring for a spot in the top 12.
Week 13 in College Football
Week 13 could provide a major shakeup to the CFP rankings. No. 5 Indiana plays No. 2 Ohio State, No. 8 Miami plays Wake Forest, No. 9 Ole Miss plays Florida, Kentucky plays No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State plays Minnesota, No. 19 Army plays No. 6 Notre Dame, and No. 16 Colorado plays Kansas.
If any upsets occur in any of those games, it could completely change the landscape of the College Football Playoff as we know it today.
