12. NC State Wolfpack (5-1)
NC State is in the College Football Playoff if … it wins out and gets plenty of help. Among the possibilities, a 12-1 ACC Champion NC State would probably be fifth among the Power Five champions thanks to the loss to Mississippi State, but the win over Clemson at least seems decent.
It’s all going to go wrong against … it might not. The remaining ACC schedule isn’t bad, with the showdown against Wake Forest on the road the most dangerous date. However …
Will NC State get into the College Football Playoff? No, but it might win the ACC Championship. It’ll drop a date along the way – watch out for at Florida State on November 6th – but it should end up in a New Year’s Six game. With that said, there’s a terrific chance the Wolfpack are in the hunt deep into November.
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