Unbeaten Iowa, surging Oklahoma debut in College Football Playoff top four

There are still two weeks of important college football left to be played before the final Playoff ranking is released. It’s unfortunate that Baylor-TCU, once the marquee game of the Big 12 schedule, was reduced to that.

The top four spots now belong to Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and Iowa, in that order. The Hawkeyes already earned their bid to the Big Ten title game, but they have one more regular season match up left.

In the Big 10, only Iowa remains unbeaten.

It’s not that improbable to think Stanford beats Notre Dame and goes on to lose to USC in the Pac-12 title game. 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Not many thought Ohio State could hang with Alabama and OR a year ago either.

Notre Dame’s road to a college football playoff spot is nearing its last leg. This week’s roadblock is Boston College in Fenway Park for the Shamrock series. The Irish trail 67 other FBS programs in their ability to slow the opposition’s running game, which is precisely what Stanford (9-2) want to do all night. Then if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma.

The Big Ten and Pac 12 have the most teams in the top 25, with five each. The SEC and Big XII have four teams each and the ACC has three. The final rankings will be revealed at noon EST Dec. 6 on ESPN.

Games this weekend will narrow the focus as several contenders meet rivals. In the Big 12, both Oklahoma and Baylor need to lose, and even then it’s questionable with one-loss Oklahoma State.

As long as we’re on that subject, both No. 8 Ohio State (even after that dismal performance) and No. 9 Stanford (even with two losses) are in position to move back into the picture, as well, with similar amounts of chaos. A win over Penn State would send Mark Dantonio’s team to the Big Ten title game, where it would face Iowa. Considered a potential championship team early in the season, the 6-5 Tigers instead find themselves at the bottom of the SEC West.

Notre Dame (10-1) has been knocked out of a Top 4 ranking.

Does Notre Dame believe a win against the Cardinal would be enough to secure one of the four playoff spots?

What if Auburn beats Alabama, Ole Miss beats Mississippi State and Florida State beats Florida?

Not much changed at the top, besides the Big 10 finally claiming the #2 spot, although not by much.

Iowa has clinched the West and will be in Indy, but if the Hawkeyes lose to Nebraska and then beat Michigan State, the Big Ten might be in trouble. In 1984, BYU finished its season 12-0 and No. 1 after a 24-17 Holiday Bowl victory over a MI team that finished 6-6. They both need either an Oklahoma loss (which OSU directly controls, but Baylor does not), and a Notre Dame loss. This will be the first matchup between Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

Wesley at Johns Hopkins: The Wolverines are where they belong feasting on the Division III playoffs as they have been for the last 11 years.

The Spartans had one of the biggest wins of the year last Sunday at Ohio State so I am not exactly jumping up and down in outrage like I am over Oklahoma. Florida (10-1, SEC) 13.

BEST OF REST: CFL: Grey Cup, Ottawa Redblacks vs. Edmonton Eskimos (3:30 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); NFL: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (10 a.m., CBS (8)), New York Giants at Washington Redskins (10 a.m., Fox (5)), Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks (1:25 p.m., CBS (8)). They’ve run for 2,115 yards, including 1,172 from Justin Jackson, and the defense ranks ninth in scoring.

Nov 21, 2015; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Dede Westbrook (11) celebrates with wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) after catching a touchdown pass during the first half at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Final Score: Florida State 23, Florida 22.