Separation Saturday provided another shakeup to the college football playoff outlook as we started to separate contenders and pretenders. As important as last weekend was in the grand scheme of the conference title pictures and pursuit of the four playoff spots, there is still a lot left to be determined. There are some big games coming up in November. Here’s the ones you’ll want to have circled on your calendar:
Baylor Bears @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Saturday November 21, 2015
TCU’s loss to Oklahoma State this past week has completely changed the Big 12 title picture. Now the Cowboys join Baylor as the only undefeated teams left in the conference at 6-0 and 5-0 respectively. The Horned Frogs could still have a major impact on how things play out with games against Oklahoma and Baylor to close out their season, but with no Big 12 title game the biggest contest currently left on the conference slate is next week’s showdown between the Bears and Cowboys. Baylor will visit Oklahoma State with the winner remaining emerging as the frontrunner to win the Big 12 and compete in this year’s playoff. Of course, Baylor does have the small task of taking care of business against Oklahoma this week and the Cowboys have to win at Iowa State.
Michigan State @ Ohio State / Ohio State @ Michigan
Saturday November 21, 2015 / Saturday November 28, 2015
All eyes will be on the Big Ten showdown between Michigan State and Ohio State next Saturday because even after the Spartans’ loss at Nebraska last week, they are still considered the team with the best chance to end the Buckeyes’ perfect season. A loss for Ohio State will remove them from playoff contention altogether but even if they win, they still face one more final showdown at Michigan against a Wolverines’ program that has completely turned things around under Jim Harbaugh.
Remember that Ohio State was supposed to be an unstoppable juggernaut this season but they’ve been far from it. They’ve had quarterbacking issues and have had a number of close calls against far inferior opponents. Any way you chop it, though, a perfect record will mean a Big Ten title and another trip to the playoffs for the Buckeyes. However, Michigan State and Michigan will provide tough tests in back-to-back weeks and there is no guarantee the Buckeyes make it through that stretch unscathed.
SEC Championship Game
Saturday December 5, 2015
Florida secured the best record in the SEC East division with its close win over Vanderbilt this past week while Alabama moved in to the driver seat in the SEC West after a big win over LSU. The Tide can clinch the SEC West with wins over Mississippi State and Auburn, but they would still need to beat Florida in the SEC Championship game in order to reach the College Football Playoff. Another loss between now and then would almost certainly eliminate Alabama from playoff contention.
Earlier in the season, this game looked like it might be a breeze for Alabama but we’ve already seen them get tested a number of times. Although is still a young team that’s probably a year away from really arriving on the scene, remember that they’re 8-1 with just one loss: a seven-point defeat at LSU. This team has been underrated all season long and head coach Jim McElwain would love to stick it to his former team.
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ACC Championship Game
Saturday December 5, 2015
Clemson is ranked No. 1 in the country according to the playoff committee and is coming off its biggest win of the season after taking down Florida State. However, even if they run the table with wins over Syracuse, Wake Forest and South Carolina, they will still have to beat North Carolina or even Pittsburgh in the ACC Championship game. Right now, it looks like it will be North Carolina, who is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. They’ve won eight straight games and have scored 38 or more in six of those wins. This won’t be a walk in the park for Clemson. One loss could very well be enough to push the Tigers out of the playoff picture so they will have to sweep their final four games – including the ACC Championship game.
