Entering the tenth and ultimate yr of the 4-team College Football Playoff, now we have a 2-time defending nationwide champion in Georgia, who’s one in all solely 5 groups to win a title within the post-BCS period. It’s been an oversaturation on the high with the identical groups enjoying in an important video games of the yr. And in case you’re a kind of fortunate handful of groups to expertise a CFP sport, congratulations. If not, it’s nauseating to see the identical matchups again and again. A breakdown of what’s taken place within the final 9 years of the CFP is downright nuts.
Only 14 groups have made the CFP, and half of that area has made a championship sport. Florida State, Washington, Michigan State and Cincinnati are one and finished in CFP video games. The trio of Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Michigan are a mixed 0-8, with the Sooners proudly owning 4 losses within the playoff by themselves. Oregon within the inaugural CFP and TCU final yr have been nationwide runners-up of their solely respective appearances within the playoff. Joe Burrow led LSU to a championship within the Tigers’ solely look within the playoff. Ohio State is the one workforce to look within the CFP no less than 5 occasions and solely have one title to indicate for it. Then there’s the dominance of Georgia, Clemson and Alabama to spherical out the group. So which groups exterior that group stand the very best likelihood to make the CFP this season?
Of the groups ranked within the AP Top 10, solely Texas, USC and Penn State have by no means made the CFP. The Longhorns are the one ones of that trio to not have a close to miss of the playoff, with Penn State clearly being the fifth-best workforce within the nation in 2016 and USC being one win away from making the playoff final yr earlier than shedding the Pac-12 title sport after which the Cotton Bowl. Expanding to the AP Top 15, three extra groups which have by no means made the CFP will be added to the checklist in Tennessee, Utah, and Kansas State. You can get rid of the Volunteers from breaking that streak this season, after they struggled to blow out FCS-level Austin Peay at house. The different 5 aforementioned non-CFPers within the Top 15 you’ll be able to’t rule out. Scanning the remainder of the Top 25, and I don’t see a legit contender. So we’re down to 5.
Kansas State surviving a more durable matchup than most would count on on the street towards Missouri on Saturday can be a nice begin to the Wildcats making a New Year’s Six bowl for a second straight season. It wouldn’t shock me in any respect to see Texas vs. Kansas State face within the Big 12 championship sport later this season with CFP implications on the road. I lean towards the Longhorns in that matchup as a result of I’d be silly to guess towards Quinn Ewers. Texas additionally has pretty much as good of a non-conference win as anybody in school football, successful on the street towards Alabama final weekend. My best choice for anybody to buck the development is the Longhorns, with the added context that the Big 12 will likely be simpler to maneuver by way of than the Pac-12 or Big Ten.
I’ll give Utah the worst odds among the many 5 that I imagine could make their first CFP this season. The Pac-12 is simply too rattling powerful and with how the Utes have regarded the primary two weeks, struggling a few losses alongside the way in which appears seemingly. If Texas doesn’t make it, I’ll give the very best odds to Penn State. There will likely be a greater goal on USC this season, with Caleb Williams nonetheless on the core of that workforce. Somehow, it feels just like the Nittany Lions may be underrated in Big Ten circles with Ohio State and Michigan dominating these conversations.
Want an out-of-this-world loopy prediction for an additional workforce? Wyoming. The Cowboys have already knocked off Texas Tech this season and a spot is open for a Group of Five contender with Tulane shedding to Ole Miss. Who does Wyoming play this weekend? Texas. A win over the closely favored Longhorns and the Cowboys will likely be on the CFP radar the remainder of the season so long as they keep undefeated.
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