How the North Carolina Tar Heels Make the College Football Playoff

The Allstate Sugar Bowl is guaranteed the Big 12 champ, but since No. 3 Oklahoma is in the semifinal, the Sugar Bowl would get the team that finishes second in the Big 12 standings. The Tigers face North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday night with a chance to secure the top seed in the four-team playoff.

Jeff Long, Chair of the College Football Playoff Committee and Arkansas Athletic Director, said that the committee had a great debate over whether or not to jump Alabama over Clemson after Saturday’s games. Of the four teams directly behind Oklahoma, two are playing each other (No. 4 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State in the Big Ten title game for a spot in the playoff), one isn’t playing and can’t win a conference title (No. 6 Ohio State) and another has two losses (No. 7 Stanford).

Obviously, the television networks have their favorites – they’d love to see Alabama stay in the field and have Ohio State sneak in.

Next up for Stanford is the Pac-12 championship against #24 USC at Levi’s Stadium, where Stanford should enjoy home-field advantage.

At. No.19, Houston (11-1) is the highest team from a Group of 5 conference.

OU (11-1) is safely at No. 3 after its Bedlam win over OSU. That also mandates a dual requirement: that the Tar Heels win impressively over Clemson and that they make a huge leap in the rankings. North Carolina has won 11 straight games and they could end up being a real thorn in Clemson’s side. But, because their only loss was a close one to a top team (and because they are Ohio State), the committee may decide to slip them in. The Spartans would be in, obviously, but who would get the last spot? Stanford has beaten two ranked teams in No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 20 Southern California. Also, if Iowa loses, they’d be a one-loss team.

Tuesday’s ranking reveal painted the clearest College Football Playoff picture of the 2015 season. “It’s clear in Ohio State’s favor in the strength of schedule”. However, the committee will have to move UNC up six spots and past teams like Notre Dame and Ohio State to get in.

By comparison, look at another team that went 8-0 in its conference slate: Iowa. Michigan State and Iowa, ranked fourth and fifth in the latest CFP Poll respectively, will battle it out on Saturday, and the victor will head to football’s Final Four. The Sooners, one would assume, are already there, as the Big 12 doesn’t have a title game. MI (9-3), 16. OR (9-3), 17.

THE PEACH AND FIESTA: If Iowa loses to Michigan State and if Ohio State is ranked higher than the Hawkeyes and the Rose takes the Buckeyes, the Hawkeyes would go to either the Peach or Fiesta.

Record of all FBS opponents W REC – Record of all FBS opponents that team has defeated Top 25 – Record versus FBS opponents in the CFB Top 25 +500 – Wins over FBS opponents with a record above.