23. San Diego State Aztecs (6-0)
San Diego State is in the College Football Playoff if … Utah wins the Pac-12 Championship and a whole slew of things go wrong for the Power Five conferences.
The ACC and Pac-12 need to have multiple losses, Cincinnati has to lose once, and it would be a big positive if there weren’t any teams that are all that close to being thrown into the Four Best Team theoretical consideration.
San Diego State beat Utah and Arizona, and if it goes unbeaten and wins the Mountain West title, it should at least end up in the final CFP top 15.
It’s all going to go wrong against … Fresno State? Boise State? Maybe at Hawaii? The Aztecs don’t have a true home – they play in Carson, California, while their new stadium is being built – and they showed last week against San Jose State that they can struggle against anyone. But …
Will San Diego State get into the College Football Playoff? No, but watch out for some consideration for the New Year’s Six bowl slot from the Group of Five conferences if Cincinnati loses.
The two wins over Power Five programs – especially the win over Utah – might push San Diego State past Coastal Carolina if the two are the lone unbeatens outside of the Power Five.
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