10. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1)
The problem is that now Oklahoma State needs help after the tough loss at Iowa State – just winning out with possibly two games against Oklahoma might not be enough.
The most likely scenario is getting to the Big 12 Championship, losing to Oklahoma, and getting to the Sugar Bowl as the highest-ranked Big 12 team could be the better call, but win out, hope for Oregon to lose again and the ACC to implode, and there’s a shot.
9. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)
You want style points? Yeeeeeeeesh.
Ohio State is rolling through a ton of bad teams, but the big boys are coming over the finishing kick.
However, this ranking is based on the clearest path to the College Football Playoff, and it’s still blocked by Oregon. That means if there’s an unbeaten SEC Champion, a 12-1 Oregon – who beat Ohio State in Columbus – and unbeaten Oklahoma are all there are Power Five champs, there’s a problem if Cincinnati still in the mix. If Alabama goes 12-1 with an SEC championship, there’s a HUGE issue.
Realistically, though, 12-1 with a Big Ten Championship gets Ohio State in. However, there can’t be a slip against Penn State, Michigan State, or at Michigan.
8. Oregon Ducks (6-1)
Does that look like a College Football Playoff team to you?
No, not really, but that win over Ohio State on the road – Texas A&M’s win over Alabama was in College Station – might hold up as the best victory by anyone all year.
If the Ducks win out and go 12-1 with a Pac-12 Championship, they’re in unless one of the unbeaten Big Ten teams runs the table, Oklahoma goes 13-0, and Alabama and Georgia are both 12-1. The rest of the schedule – Colorado, at Washington, Washington State, at Utah, Oregon State – is manageable enough to make it happen.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1)
The home loss to Purdue doesn’t matter. As long as Iowa wins out, takes the Big Ten West title, and knocks out whatever if coming out of the East, it should be a lock.
Maybe.
It would still take at least one the three from the ACC, Pac-12, Big 12 champs to lose, and it would be nice if Cincinnati could tap out, but …
No way the College Football Playoff committee is leaving out a one-loss Big Ten champion this year.
Now we get into the teams with an unobstructed path to the College Football Playoff.
6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-0)
There’s good news and bad news, and they’re both the same – the rest of the schedule is hard.
That’s bad because Wake Forest only has one solid win – 37-17 at Virginia. However, get through November – at North Carolina, NC State, at Clemson, at Boston College – and beat, most likely, Pitt for the ACC Championship, and at 12-1, in. 13-0, guaranteed in.
It’s not going to happen, but at least the path is clear.