College Football Playoffs – Syndication Server

Big Ten football occupies the top spot in new CFP projections

Take a look at where each Big Ten team is projected in the bowl games this college football season.

The latest College Football Playoff projections have rolled out from USA TODAY Sports and ESPN, and that means in-depth coverage of where the Big Ten stands. Week 10 did not bring any upsets from the top seeds in the top four conferences, but it did bring a new number one seed.

The Oregon Ducks have moved up to the top spot, according to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports, while Heather Dinich of ESPN ($) has Oregon maintaining the top seed over the Georgia Bulldogs.

The change up top comes from Georgia’s projected edge over the Ohio State Buckeyes with both squads projected as conference champions. Those projections have changed, making the Ducks the Big Ten favorites and Georgia staying the favorite to win the SEC.

OSU’s strength of schedule and play against their toughest opponents has weakened their case, according to both writers. They rank 5th in Myerberg’s projection, and 6th in Dinich’s update. In the 5-12 matchup, the Buckeyes would face the Boise State Broncos. As the 6 seed, they’d take on the Clemson Tigers.

The Penn State Nittany Lions come in at 7th for Myerberg, and 5th for Dinich. Her reasoning for the top non-conference champion spot is showing how PSU could be the committee’s No. 3 team but can’t place them there as conference champs fill the top four seeds.

Dinich has the Nittany Lions against the Tennessee Volunteers. Myerberg also has them against the Volunteers in his 7-10 matchup.

Hoosiers record rings hollow in projections

Not one word of digital ink was given to the Indiana Hoosiers. At 8-0, being considered a ‘Next Team In’ should be the norm until teams fall out of CFP projections. But like Ohio State, Indiana’s schedule is void of multiple marquee wins.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Washington Huskies are their best wins, but have games against the Michigan Wolverines and Buckeyes Weeks 11 and 12. Michigan would be a win over a strong defense, and beating the Buckeyes would clinch a spot.

There remains optimism that QB Kurtis Rourke (thumb surgery) could come back after missing only one game. The surgery on his thumb was to repair the nail bed.

It’s apparent that the committee won’t notice the Hoosiers without winning out if these projections ring true.

Big Ten bowl projections at a glance

USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith is back with his college football bowl projection ahead of Week 10. The Big Ten continues to lose bowl bids as the conference middle and lower tiers beat up on each other.

Here’s where the Big Ten stands this week:

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Duke Blue Devils
First Responder – Michigan State Spartans vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Citrus – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fighting Illini vs. LSU Tigers
Music City – Michigan Wolverines vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Pinstripe – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Syracuse Orange
Rate – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
GameAbove Sports – Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Western Michigan Broncos
LA – Washington Huskies (Pac-12 representative) vs. UNLV Rebels

The conference is projected to add two more teams to bowl season, with the Spartans, Huskies, and Golden Gophers getting nods as the Maryland Terrapins fell out.

It appears that the Oregon Ducks are disrespected in latest CFP projections

Checking on the Big Ten with their latest bowl projections, why are the Ducks continuously disrespected?

The disrespect the Oregon Ducks are facing in USA TODAY Sports’ latest College Football Playoff projections is a problem, and it’s messing up CFP seeding for the Big Ten representatives.

According to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports, the Texas Longhorns could lose seeding based on their strength of schedule. The No. 5 seed in his current projections could win out and not have a win against a current LBM Coaches poll-ranked team unless the Texas A&M Aggies keep winning ahead of their matchup on November 30th.

It also benefits them to have the Vanderbilt Commodores, ranked No. 25 in both the Coaches poll and the AP poll.

Despite the dip in talented opponents, the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to be seeded ahead of the Ducks in CFP projections. The only valid reason to keep OSU at No. 2 is the close loss at Oregon. The Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the nation, but they also played a shorthanded Ducks team that night.

So why should the Longhorns be worried about their schedule if it benefits the Buckeyes in a weaker conference?

This is a tiring discussion, so let’s look at the remaining Big Ten teams in the CFP.

Same three Big Ten teams remain in CFP

The Penn State Nittany Lions join the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 6 Ducks in this week’s projections. PSU remains clumped with the Ducks, a theme throughout Myerberg’s weekly projection.

The Nittany Lions could end up deciding their fate in the next two weeks. Their next game is on Oct. 26 at the Wisconsin Badgers, and then home against OSU on Nov. 2.

Oregon gets a strength of schedule boost with the Illinois Fighting Illini coming to Eugene this weekend. The Buckeyes get what’s left of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Indiana, Illinois knocking on the CFP door

The impressive rise of the Indiana Hoosiers and Fighting Illini get both mentioned, especially with the Hoosiers moon-pounding the Cornhuskers last weekend.

Indiana has a realistic chance of making the CFP projections next week with a loss from any team ranked 9-12. And if they do so without Kurtis Rourke, it will be even sweeter.

Illinois has to win at Oregon to have any consideration. It’s not because of the two losses, but the amount of teams with two losses that are better on paper and almost every Saturday.

If the two losses for the Illini remain only PSU and presumably the Ducks, with both on the road, then that’s progress.

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) catches a long pass under coverage from Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Kyndrich Breedlove (10) during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. — Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Big Ten Bowl projections at a glance

USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith put together another massive college football bowl projection ahead of Week 9’s matchups.

The Big Ten is losing representatives because of the challenging schedule and parity outside of the top teams in the conference.

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Louisville Cardinals
Citrus – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Music City – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Pinstripe – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Syracuse Orange
Guaranteed Rate – Maryland Terrapins vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
GameAbove Sports – Michigan Wolverines vs. Western Michigan Broncos

It looks like a mediocre matchup on paper (it is), but if the Wolverines and Broncos get to play each other in Detroit, it’ll be a party.

The Terrapins are the surprise addition over the Michigan State Spartans. The middle of the conference is a lot of teams with flaws, but it’s nice to see Maryland rewarded for their win against the USC Trojans.

Speaking of the former Pac-12 teams, only Oregon is in bowl consideration after joining the Big Ten. The UCLA Bruins got their road upset over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, while USC is seeing how much deeper it’ll be to reach rock bottom.

Pair of ACC teams listed among College Football Playoff sleepers

A pair of ACC football teams are considered sleeper candidates to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Perhaps the best part of the new 12-team College Football Playoff era is the amount of teams that still have a chance to compete for a national championship here in late October.

In previous years, only seven or eight – maybe 10 in a high parity season – teams would still have even a tiny shred of a chance of making the CFP.

This season there are quite a few teams from every power conference with a chance of making the CFP, either by winning the regular season or earning one of the seven automatic bids – with one going to a Group of Five program.

Most current projections have two teams from the ACC making the College Football Playoff: The Miami Hurricanes and Clemson Tigers.

However, according to Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY, there are a pair of dark horse teams in the conference who are having strong enough seasons that – if the stars align just right – could end up competing in the inaugural 12-team CFP.

SMU Mustangs

SMU is 6-1 on the year and 3-0 in conference play with wins over Florida State, Louisville, and Stanford. The Mustangs also hung 66 points on in-state rival TCU, and their only loss was an 18-15 showdown against a BYU team that looks like a very strong candidate to make the College Football Playoff themselves.

With a tough road game at Duke (yes really) and matchups against Pitt, Boston College, and at Virginia left on the calendar, there is enough meat in the schedule for SMU to get a strong look for one of the at-large bids if they win out.

Pitt Panthers

Pitt is one of two undefeated teams remaining in the ACC, with Miami being the other. The Panthers are 6-0 on the year and 2-0 in ACC play, although the wins have come against bottom-feeders North Carolina and Cal.

However, Pitt, has a nice road win at Cincinnati and a win over West Virginia, and with plenty of chances still remaining on the schedule this team could make a push for a CFP spot. Syracuse at home is next, followed by SMU, Virginia, Clemson, Louisville, and Boston College.

Will the Big 12 land two teams in College Football Playoff?

The Big 12 is having a fantastic year in football, but it’s going under the radar. Can the BYU Cougars and Iowa State Cyclones BOTH get the Big 12 into the College Football Playoff?

The Big 12 conference is well aware of how easily they can be unjustly left out of the biggest events of a college football postseason. The very first College Football Playoff left out a talented TCU Horned Frogs team and a great Baylor Bears team even though both teams were 11-1.

In 2016, the 2-loss Oklahoma Sooners were kept out even though they were a conference champion, while a non-conference champion Ohio State Buckeye team was let in. But this year? This year, if the results continue to roll in as they have, it will be a travesty if two Big 12 teams DON’T make the College Football Playoff.

We are halfway through the college football season, and the Big 12 has two undefeated teams. The No. 13 BYU Cougars and No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones are both 3-0 in Big 12 play and 6-0 overall. And, what makes this spicier, is that they won’t play each other until a hypothetical Big 12 Championship game in Arlington.

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Is it a “Sure Thing?”

Both teams have games they might lose. BYU still has to play the Utah Utes in the “Holy War” rivalry game. While Utah still has questions to figure out, this is traditionally the epitome of the “throw out the record books.” Utah leads the all-time series 59-32-4, but BYU won their last matchup in 2021. This year? The vaunted BYU defense will likely get to feast on freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson. Yes, Isaac is the younger brother of BYU great and NFL quarterback Zach Wilson. Yes, that’s the “Holy War” for you.

Iowa State also has to play Utah, but they have to see the Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-1, 3-0 in Big 12 play) and No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats as well. That’s three tough games in the back half of the season… but they’re also all played in Ames, Iowa.

In a year where the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sit at No. 12 in the AP poll with a loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies, why can’t both BYU and ISU make it? No. 8 LSU Tigers team has a loss to the unranked USC Trojans. The No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers have a loss to an unranked Arkansas Razorbacks (who are 0-1 against Big 12 opponents this year).

If the Big 12 football continues to have football so nice, why can’t the CFP invite it twice?

Big Ten splits College Football Playoff projections

Oregon or Ohio State? The latest College Football Playoff projections are split on the two Big Ten powerhouses.

At some point, the top of the College Football Playoff picture won’t be in flux at the level it has been. Until then, the Big Ten will be battling it out with the SEC for the claim of best conference in the nation.

That said, this week’s College Football Playoff projections done by Erick Smith, Paul Myerberg, and ESPN show the revolving door of the top 12 as expected once the bracket is released December 8, 2024.

There was some shuffling amongst the teams in Myerberg’s CFP projections, including the removal of the Alabama Crimson Tide despite squeaking out a 27-25 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Kansas State also moves out of the top four spots guaranteed for the big four conference winners. Replacing the Wildcats is the Iowa State Cyclones.

ESPN also has the Cyclones representing the Big 12. The Wildcats should not hold a spot in the College Football Playoff according to the sports network.

How did Week 7’s action transform this week’s projections for the Big Ten?

Buckeyes, Ducks split Big Ten berth

Two projections, two top seeds for the Big Ten. Myerberg believes that the Ohio State Buckeyes should still be in the No. 2 seed despite losing to the Oregon Ducks.

Those same Ducks are 6th in Myerberg’s projections, below the top non-conference seeded Georgia Bulldogs.

ESPN was much closer to the larger audience’s expectations. Oregon swapped spots with OSU, going from 6th to 2nd.

Myerberg still believes Ohio State makes it to the National Championship game. That’s more than fair.

Penn State moved up one spot from No. 8 to No. 7 after their come-from-behind win at USC this past weekend.

Iowa has a chance

Despite having two losses, Myerberg believes that the Iowa Hawkeyes could find a way into the playoffs as long as they run the table. Their remaining schedule is at Michigan State, home against Northwestern and Wisconsin, on the road at UCLA and Maryland, and home to close out the regular season against Nebraska.

Oct 12, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back John Nestor (7) and defensive back Zach Lutmer (6) react during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Kinnick Stadium. — Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Big Ten bowl projections at a glance

Below is the latest bowl game projections from Erick Smith.

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Louisville Cardinals
First Responder – Washington Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Citrus – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Music City – Michigan Wolverines vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Pinstripe – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Syracuse Orange
Las Vegas – USC Trojans vs. Missouri Tigers
Guaranteed Rate – Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
GameAbove Sports – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Buffalo Bulls

12 teams are projected to make a bowl game out of the Big Ten. That has been the threshold the past few weeks in projections.

All of these matchups have some level of entertainment, but seeing the Hoosiers and Crimson Tide as a potential matchup is intriguing. Could Indiana slow down the Alabama offense while keeping pace with the ball?

There’s time before anything is set, but these projections remain a fun exercise.

How Michigan and USC losses impact College Football Playoff picture

Where will each Big Ten football team play this bowl season, and how many conference teams will make the College Football Playoffs?

An entertaining Week 6 is officially in the rearview mirror. Week 7 of the college football season is packed with great matchups that will weigh on the College Football Playoff committee once the first bracket is released on Tuesday, November 5th.

The Big Ten has been firmly entrenched in the first projections done by Erick Smith, and Paul Myerberg. We add Andy Patton‘s CFP projection to the fold this week. All are worthy reads and strong looks at how the non-conference champs spots can change wildly.

Alabama losing at Vanderbilt meant a new number one, and the third in three weeks. Missouri, Tennessee, Michigan, and USC also lost, ending the Big Ten teams’ chances of getting in, and hurting the SEC‘s one-loss teams that couldn’t take advantage of the Alabama loss.

The shake ups across the standings did not take away Big Ten teams from being in the latest CFP projections, but did a fourth climb in from the teams falling out?

Three Big Ten teams in CFP projections

No. 2 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon, and No. 8 Penn State remain in the College Football Playoff projections. The trio remain in the same spot as they were in last week. CFP rankings are separate from the Coaches and AP polls.

Indiana, Illinois, and Nebraska would be the next teams up for the Big Ten after Michigan and USC’s losses. That’s a precipitous drop from the top three teams after Week 6.

There’s a chance only two schools make the list this time next week. Ohio State travels to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Ducks.

Cornhuskers a team to watch

Myerberg gave a few lines to Nebraska to give flowers to their defense. He also touched on QB Dylan Raiola’s growth being a factor to getting into the top 12.

Big Ten bowl projections at a glance

12 teams made last week’s bowl season projections, including the CFP. What might change after upsets hit the Big Ten.

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. NC State Wolfpack
Citrus – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Sun – USC Trojans (Pac-12 rep) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fightin’ Illini vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Music City – Michigan Wolverines vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Alamo – Washington Huskies (Pac-12 rep) vs. BYU Cougars
Pinstripe – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Syracuse Orange
Guaranteed Rate – Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Detroit – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Toledo Rockets

Swaps and new games litter the projections. Iowa, Washington, and Wisconsin kept the same game and matchup they had last week.

The Big Ten didn’t gain any bowl games. Minnesota’s win puts them on the right path to contend for one of the smaller games. Maryland has a winnable home game against Northwestern, while Wisconsin can get their fourth win of the season in an upset at Rutgers. Wins by both would make them 4-2, tied with Rutgers.

Trio of Big Ten teams in latest College Football Playoff projections

Big Ten bowl projections have three teams in the College Football Playoffs, and 12 total teams in bowl games.

In the latest College Football Playoffs projections from USA TODAY, Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg get the chance to wrong a right after pairing two Big Ten teams against each other last week.

They also make a change at the top of the bracket with the Alabama Crimson Tide taking the spot held by the Georgia Bulldogs after their loss at Bama.

Another team entered the top seeds following the Utah Utes loss to Big 12 opponent Arizona. The Kansas State Wildcats replace them, for now, although the Big 12 has plenty of competition at the top including BYU, Iowa State, and even Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes.

The Miami Hurricanes from the ACC and Ohio State Buckeyes out of the Big Ten round out the projected conference champs, while Barry Odom’s UNLV Rebels secure the Group of Five bid after blasting Fresno State without starting quarterback Matthew Sluka.

Here is a look at how all the bowl projections play out for Big Ten programs ahead of Week 6:

Three Big Ten teams in CFP

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks and No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions join No. 2 Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs projections. CFP rankings are separate from the Coaches and AP polls.

Oregon and Penn St. each move up one spot from last week, while OSU stays at two.

It’s good to see none drop out, with the Nittany Lions the closest to upset watch against Illinois. They dusted them and were rewarded. The Illini loss gave other Big Ten teams an opportunity to knock on the CFP door.

Michigan, Indiana on CFP radar

The one-loss Wolverines and undefeated Hoosiers got ink time. Michigan was more in passing as Myerberg gave four teams to watch the last of his digital ink.

In case you didn’t know, Indiana is 5-0 for the first time since 1967.

Big Ten bowl projections at a glance

Three teams are accounted for thanks to the College Football Playoffs. The first official week of Big Ten play jumbled the conference standings, but did it throw their bowl projections out of whack?

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. NC State Wolfpack
First Responder – Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Citrus – Michigan Wolverines vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Sun – Washington Huskies (Pac-12 rep) vs. Pitt Panthers
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fightin’ Illini vs. Missouri Tigers
Music City – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Alamo – USC Trojans (Pac-12 rep) vs. BYU Cougars
Pinstripe – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Syracuse Orange
Detroit – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Toledo Rockets

The 12 Big Ten teams projected is down one from last week’s projection. Michigan State fell from bowl season, and no new Big Ten team replaced them.

This week looks better than last, but that’s just me. What do you think?

ACC projected to land two teams in expanded College Football Playoffs

11 ACC teams are projected to play in a bowl game at the conclusion of the 2024 college football season, including two in the playoffs.

A lot of changes took place in the College Football Playoff projections after Week 5 of the season, thanks primarily to the Alabama Crimson Tide taking down the Georgia Bulldogs as well as the Utah Utes falling unexpectedly to the Arizona Wildcats – which knocks them out of the playoff picture for now.

However, projections for how the ACC will be represented in the CFP, and throughout the other bowl games, didn’t change much. Both the Miami Hurricanes and Clemson Tigers remain in the picture after securing wins in Week 5 over Virginia Tech and Stanford, respectively.

Miami is still projected to win the ACC and earn a top four seed in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, while Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are projected to get one of the seven at-large bids.

Below is a look at projected matchups for the two ACC teams in the playoffs, as well as nine other conference programs who are projected to make a bowl game according to Erick Smith of USA TODAY:

College Football Playoff

Clemson drew the nine seed in Smith’s latest projections, meaning they would play on the road against the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions out of the Big Ten. The winner of that game would play Alabama, the No. 1 overall seed, in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

The ‘Canes would first appear in the Peach Bowl, also on New Year’s Day, and would face the winner of the Oregon Ducks vs. Iowa State Cyclones matchup.

Other Bowl Games

Nine other ACC programs were projected to appear in bowl games this season, including the Boston College Eagles who were surprisingly snubbed in last week’s projections but are back after a 21-20 win over Western Kentucky puts them at 4-1 on the year.

With Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse still on the schedule, the Eagles have a good chance of qualifying for bowl eligibility assuming Thomas Castellanos is healthy enough to play the rest of the season.

Last week the Golden Bears of Cal were included as one of the Pac-12 programs, but they were replaced despite not playing last week. A huge matchup on Saturday against Miami – with College GameDay coming to Berkeley – will help determine if this program has what it takes to make a bowl game in their first year in the ACC.

Here is a look at each bowl projection for the ACC:

NC State Wolfpack vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (Duke’s Mayo Bowl)

Louisville Cardinals vs. LSU Tigers (Gator Bowl)

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Washington Huskies (Sun Bowl)

SMU Mustangs vs. Memphis Tigers (Military Bowl)

Syracuse Orange vs. Indiana Hoosiers (Pinstripe Bowl)

Boston College Eagles vs. Tulane Green Wave (Fenway Bowl)

Duke Blue Devils vs. Washington State Cougars (Holiday Bowl)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (Birmingham Bowl)

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. South Florida Bulls (Gasparilla Bowl)

Big Ten teams get praise and confusion in Week 5 CFP bracket and bowl projections

The latest CFP projection has Penn State and Oregon facing each other in the first round, a potential bummer draw for the Big Ten.

There is a little over two months of meaningful college football to play before the College Football Playoff and bowl season arrive. That has not stopped prognosticators from placing schools in games and brackets, including programs out of the Big Ten.

Ahead of Week 5, Erick Smith of USA Today put out his latest bowl projections, and collaborated with USAT teammate Paul Myerberg on this week’s College Football Playoff bracket expectations.

We need to talk about this.

CFP bracket does two Big Ten teams dirty

Three Big Ten football teams made this week’s bracket, but two of them are pitted against each other in the CFP Quarterfinals – No. 7 Oregon Ducks and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions (seeding is CFP, not AP or Coaches Poll).

It’s the only of the four games that features an opponent from the same conference. Either this is a way stir the pot, or a poor choice. Flip No. 8 Tennessee with the Ducks, and no one would bat an eye.

Ohio State checks in at the Big Ten champs spot, as the second seed.

Michigan as a first four out after relative obscurity is a big leap, but the win over USC at least reaffirmed the Wolverines’ stance as a top unit on defense.

Big Ten teams littered throughout bowl games

The previous three teams help make up the College Football Playoff bowl season, but there’s an endless supply of other bowl games that need teams. Ten additional programs would be playing in a bowl game if the season ended today, according to Smith and Myerberg.

Duke’s Mayo – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. NC State Wolfpack
First Responder – Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Citrus – Michigan Wolverines vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Sun – Washington Huskies (as Pac-12 rep) vs. Pitt Panthers
ReliaQuest – Illinois Fightin’ Illini vs. Missouri Tigers
Music City – Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Alamo – USC Trojans (Pac-12) vs. Kansas State Wildcats
Pinstripe – Wisconsin Badgers vs. Syracuse Orange
Guaranteed Rate – Michigan State Spartans vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Detroit – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Toledo Rockets

Two teams getting in based on conference representation is padding stats, but it was agreed upon through next season.

What did Smith and Myerberg get wrong? Do more teams deserve bowl bids?

Why Washington State is a sneaky College Football Playoff candidate

If Washington State goes undefeated, will the CFP committee do the right thing and give them a spot in the playoffs?

The College Football Playoff has expanded to include 12 teams this season: the regular season winner of the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC, one champion from the Group of Five conferences, and seven at-large spots which can go to any team at the FCS level.

Most of those seven at-large spots are expected to go to teams in the SEC and Big Ten, with as many as six SEC teams and four Big Ten teams all strongly in the mix right now.

However, there is a now independent school out in Pullman Washington that is slowly putting together a case and has enough strength of schedule remaining to potentially spoil the party: the Washington State Cougars.

Jake Dickert’s club is 4-0 to begin the 2024 season, and while all four games have been at home it hasn’t been a cakewalk. Sure Portland State in Week 1 was an easy 70-30 victory, but a dominant 37-16 win over Big 12 opponent Texas Tech in Week 2 turned some heads, especially now that the Red Raiders are 3-1 with a nice win over a surging Arizona State team in Week 4.

WSU then hosted in-state rival Washington for the Apple Cup, held early in the season thanks to the two programs no longer playing in the same conference, and the Cougars defense and timely offense led them to a 24-19 victory and a 3-0 start, which turned to 4-0 after a chaotic 54-52 victory over San Jose State last week.

Remaining Schedule

To first determine if Washington State has any chance of earning a bid to the College Football Playoff, we have to look at the remaining games on the schedule to determine if the quality of opponents is enough to merit consideration in the event the Cougars finish the regular season undefeated.

With a win each against the Big 12 and Big Ten, WSU is already off to a great start. And three of the team’s next four games are all true road games, and all against teams that will be in the Pac-12 alongside Washington State in 2026…although all three are currently still in the Mountain West.

The Cougars face Boise State in Boise on Saturday September 28th, then after a bye will play Fresno State in Fresno on October 12th. A home battle with Hawaii awaits on October 19th, followed by a road game at San Diego State on October 26th, then closing with Utah State at home, New Mexico and Oregon State each on the road, and then Wyoming at home on November 30th.

Sure, this isn’t the gauntlet teams in the SEC or Big Ten will be facing for the next two months, and if teams like Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, Oregon, USC, and LSU continue to play well it will be extremely difficult to find a spot for a program like Washington State – even if they win every game this season.

But, if WSU does capture road wins at Boise and Fresno, and if Texas Tech and Washington finish the season strong, the committee should give serious consideration to the Cougars as a College Football Playoff squad.

At the very least, this team deserves to be ranked despite being just outside the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches Poll after Week 4.