13. Pitt Panthers (5-1)
Pitt is in the College Football Playoff if … it rips through the rest of the schedule. The win over Tennessee helps, and if it goes 11-1 and gets to the ACC Championship, it’ll have also beaten Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia. That might not seem like anything amazing, but 12-1 with an ACC title would get the Panthers close. However …
It’s all going to go wrong against … Clemson, or North Carolina, or in the ACC Championship. Pitt will likely drop a date somewhere, but even if it doesn’t the 44-41 loss to Western Michigan will be an anchor with the College Football Playoff committee.
Will Pitt get into the College Football Playoff? No, but it should get to the ACC Championship with a trip to a New Year’s Six bowl on the line.
Ranking the teams alive for the College Football Playoff
UTSA | San Diego State | Coastal Carolina
SMU | Texas A&M | Auburn | Ole Miss
Notre Dame | Kentucky | Cincinnati
Baylor | Pitt | NC State | Wake Forest
Ohio State | Oregon | Penn State | Iowa
Michigan State | Oklahoma St | Michigan
Alabama | Oklahoma | Georgia
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings