The creation of the College Football Playoff has added that much more intrigue to the season with a handful of teams vying for the four available spots based not only on record but strength of schedule and overall performance as well. The AP poll provides a good indication of where each team ranks but we can get even better insight in to each team’s playoff potential by including those factors on our own. Here is a look at how the College Football Playoff would look if the season ended today based on all of the factors that the committee will consider.
No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 4 Baylor Bears
The Buckeyes have certainly had their shares of highs and lows this season but they are the defending national champion, undefeated at 8-0 and at their very best, they are probably still the team to beat. It took some time for them to figure out the quarterback situation and get their offense in a sustained rhythm but they rolled over Rutgers in a 49-7 blowout win last week. They are heating up just in time for a pair of Big Ten showdowns with Michigan and Michigan State. It seems as if the switch to J.T. Barrett at quarterback has paid dividends as he has played well following Cardale Jones, who struggled throughout the season.
Meanwhile, Baylor is dealing with major question marks following a season-ending injury to their star quarterback and Heisman trophy candidate Seth Russell but if the season ended right now, they would still be the best bet for the final spot. They have improved to 7-0 while hitting the 60-point mark in five of its last six games.
All eyes are going to be on freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham to see if he can hold his own and keep the offense rolling but the schedule is about to get a lot tougher including three straight games against ranked opponents in Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU. Keep in mind that Ohio State lost their starting quarterback twice last season and still managed to win the championship, so there’s no sense in writing off Baylor too early.
The Horned Frogs, Michigan State, Stanford and Alabama are just outside the top four, so if Baylor slips, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see any one of those teams take the final CFP spot with TCU the obvious favorite if they go undefeated in the Big 12.
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No. 2 LSU Tigers vs. No. 3 Clemson Tigers
Any chance that the Tide have to reach the playoff will require a win over LSU when those teams meet in Tuscaloosa on November 7th. However, right now, the Tigers have to be considered the second-best CFP-eligible team based on a perfect 7-0 record in the loaded SEC West.
Sophomore running back Leonard Fournette is the runaway favorite to win this year’s Heisman trophy with 1,352 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns already this season and LSU has already recorded notable wins over Michigan State, Auburn and Florida. The Tigers still have to beat Alabama on the road in what looks like it will be an absolutely epic SEC showdown but if the season ended today, they would almost certainly be a lock as the second playoff seed.
Meanwhile, Clemson has made its case as the third-best option as the No. 3 ranked team in the country. The Tigers are coming off a lopsided 58-0 statement win over Miami and while they didn’t get a lot of love for close wins over Louisville and Notre Dame, this team is 7-0 and in control of its own destiny in the ACC.
Clemson still has to play and beat Florida State but they have fallen a few pegs and the rest of the Tigers’ schedule looks manageable. If the season ended today, it would be Dabo Swinney’s Tigers taking on Les Miles’ Tigers in the College Football Playoff.
