Oklahoma seemingly has clinched College Football Playoff berth

Despite plenty of blowout wins, Clemson can lose it all if they finish with a close win against 3-9 SC and an upset loss to North Carolina in their last two games.

The idea behind the College Football Playoff was for the committee to select the four best teams in the nation to compete, and to eventually crown a champion.

Michigan State was ranked fifth, the first team out of the playoff field, and Ohio State climbed to No. 6.

Maybe, especially if Alabama losses, too, and Stanford loses. Stanford, North Carolina, and Ohio State have the most to gain in that situation.

Not considered one of the best games of the week, but entertaining to watch, was the Alabama vs. Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

Plenty remains unsettled playoff-wise pending the outcomes of the other conference championship games, but it’s simple for Iowa and Michigan State: win and you’re in.

Yes, conference champions from the Power Five conferences should get preferential treatment, but after leaving out TCU last season, don’t expect the No. 3 Sooners to get the same treatment this year.

Notre Dame landed eighth in the latest rankings, likely locking up a New Year’s Six bowl bid – Fiesta or Peach Bowl, anyone?

Houston (11-1), which comes in at No. 19 this week, is the highest ranked team from the Group of 5.

In order for Ohio State to make the playoff, either Clemson or Alabama need to lose.

PredictionMachine.com has crunched the data for 50,000 computer simulations of the most likely teams in the four-team college football playoff (Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and Iowa). No. 2 Alabama faces No. 18 Florida for the SEC title in a similar win-and-in situation.

Clemson plays North Carolina for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship; Alabama plays Florida for the Southeastern Conference title.

Clemson has wins against two teams in the committee’s top 10, Notre Dame at 8 and Florida State at 9.

So there are two berths into the College Football Playoff nearly assuredly accounted for.

“The reality is we’re two plays away from being undefeated and being the No. 1 team in the country – one play at Clemson and one play here at Stanford”, he said. Behind the Cardinal is OR at No. 16, USC at No. 20, and Utah. Is it just their brand name or is it about how impressive they’ve looked; enough to make everyone forget about their loss to a 4-win Texas team?

I will admit, I hated the Big 12 sacrificing teams early with brutal schedules so that TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma would all play huge games in the month of November. Wins at Baylor, Tennessee and Oklahoma State should be particularly impressive to the committee; chairman Jeff Long said Tuesday night the Sooners were a solid No. 3.

The Badgers clung to the No. 25 spot in the week 10 and 11, but dropped out of the poll last week after losing at home to Northwestern.

Another coach who went into last week with an uncertain status is Les Miles, whose LSU Tigers are No. 21 after spending a week outside of the poll.