Top 15 College Football Playoff Chase Rankings
15. Texas
Odds To Win the College Football Playoff: +5200
Must Win Game: Oklahoma, Oct. 8
Landmine To Sidestep: at Kansas State, Nov. 5
Where It Could All Go Wrong: at Oklahoma State, Oct. 22
Bottom Line: Texas certainly has the offensive pop to give anyone in college football a bad day. Can the program that lost to Kansas last season be that improved to be a College Football Playoff possibility? If it shocks Alabama on September 10th, yeah. Even if it loses, there isn’t another game on the slate the Longhorns can’t win if everything finally starts to go right.
Will Texas Make the College Football Playoff? Not yet. The only reasons Texas is this high up is because 1) the talent really might be there on offense and 2) if it shakes up the world with a win over Bama, the entire season changes. But no – Texas isn’t going 12-1 with a Big 12 Championship.
Texas Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis
14. Houston
Odds To Win the College Football Playoff: +27000
Must Win Game: at Texas Tech, Sept. 10
Landmine To Sidestep: at East Carolina, Nov. 19
Where It Could All Go Wrong: at Memphis, Oct. 7
Bottom Line: Just like the Cincinnati trip to the College Football Playoff last year, Houston has to go 13-0 with an American Athletic Conference championship or it’s not going to happen. The other big problem is the lack of a big non-conference win – UC had Notre Dame last year, along with Indiana, and winning at Texas Tech and beating Kansas might not be enough. The team is going to be good enough, though, to make a run.
Will Houston Make the College Football Playoff? No. The Cougars won’t go 13-0, but they’ll get in if they do. The talent is there to be this year’s Cincinnati.
Houston review | Top 10 Players | Schedule
13. Texas A&M
Odds To Win the College Football Playoff: +2400
Must Win Game: at Alabama, Oct. 8
Landmine To Sidestep: Miami, Sept. 17
Where It Could All Go Wrong: Arkansas (in Arlington), Sept. 24
Bottom Line: The Aggies have a whole lot of talent, but they’re really, really young. They’ll rise up and win a few big games, but a brutal run from September 17th to October 29th without a home game will be impossible to overcome – especially considering the four games are against Arkansas, Mississippi State, Alabama, and South Carolina. That doesn’t include a road game against Auburn and the rough home battles against Miami, Ole Miss, Florida, and LSU.
Will Texas A&M Make the College Football Playoff? No … give it one more year. The schedule is beyond painful and the parts just aren’t quite there – more like aren’t going to be quite matured yet – to take the SEC West with just one loss. Just wait, though – it’s coming soon.
Texas A&M Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis
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12. Wisconsin
Odds To Win the College Football Playoff: +8200
Must Win Game: at Iowa, Nov. 12
Landmine To Sidestep: Washington State, Sept. 10
Where It Could All Go Wrong: at Michigan State, Oct. 15
Bottom Line: The road date Ohio State is big, but if Wisconsin is finally going to break the ceiling and get to the College Football Playoff – it’s the top Power Five program win-wise in the playoff era to not get into the final four – it’ll have to go 12-1 and win the Big Ten Championship. That’s not happening with away games at Michigan State, Iowa, and – don’t giggle – Nebraska.
Will Wisconsin Make the College Football Playoff? No, but the New Year’s Six is possible. It’s WAY overdue to get into the College Football Playoff, but it’ll once again run into the Ohio State wall.
Wisconsin Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis
11. Michigan
Odds To Win the College Football Playoff: +4900
Must Win Game: at Ohio State, Nov. 26
Landmine To Sidestep: at Iowa, Oct. 1
Where It Could All Go Wrong: Michigan State, Oct. 29
Bottom Line: Be very, very careful assuming Michigan will go back to being its Big Ten East also-ran self. The lines are still fantastic, the running game still good, and even with some key defensive losses, the pieces are there to make another big push.
The non-conference schedule is a breeze, there’s no Wisconsin to face, and the Penn State and Michigan State games are at home. Combine all of that with a run of four home games in five dates over the second half of the season before going to Ohio State, and Michigan might be going into Columbus with the College Football Playoff still in play.
Will Michigan Make the College Football Playoff? No, but if Michigan can get to the Ohio State game 11-0, it still might get in as long as it doesn’t get destroyed. The more likely top destination is the Rose Bowl.
Michigan Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis