College playoff positioning

November 12, 2018

College playoff positioning underway … Interesting week in college football this past weekend in which all the teams still in contention for the 4-team CFP all held serve. Indeed, with just two full weeks left on the regular schedule, plus the conference championship games, it appears there are still 9 teams with a shot at making the real college post-season. The three remaining unbeaten Power 5 teams – Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame – of course, control their own destinies and will make the playoff if they win out; indeed, Alabama and Clemson likely would still make it even with a loss. On the other hand, though, there is a real scramble for the 4th and final spot. Michigan or Ohio State will be able to stake a claim if they win the BIG TEN; same for Oklahoma and West Virginia in the BIG XII, while Washington State still has an outside shot from the far coast. And Georgia still has a path, but would have to beat #1 Alabama in the SEC title game early next month. And if all that just screams out the need for an expanded CFP playoff you wouldn’t be far wrong. But that is, sadly, still a ways off. In the meantime, here’s how GBN Associate Editor and resident college football guru Pigskin Paul Guillemette has the teams ranked with those 2-3 weeks to go.