College Football Playoff Projections Week 9: No Pac 12 or Big Ten Teams in Top 4
Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Cody Prewitt (25) is congratulated by teammate Senquez Golson (21) after recovering a fumble by the LSU Tigers in the first quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Here are the teams who were left out of our College Football Playoff Projected Top 4 but still control their own destiny to get in:
1. Ole Miss Rebels
Nothing really changed for the Rebels after their loss to LSU over the weekend except for the fact that they have to win out. Ole Miss still controls its own fate in the SEC West, still has a chance to knock off Mississippi State, and still has a chance to win the SEC Championship. As if a 1-loss SEC champion is going to be left out of the playoff!!! Don’t worry Rebel nation, your teams is fine for right now. But they can’t screw up anymore, or they’ll drop from controlling their own destiny to being out of the race.
2. Kansas State Wildcats
Just like last week, the Wildcats still have complete control of their own destiny after a 23-0 win over Texas on Saturday, and the Big 12 season is going to likely come down to Kansas State-Baylor. But where things get tricky is if Kansas State gets in but Auburn wins out and doesn’t. The Wildcats would then have bumped a team that beat them and should get the tiebreaker for head-to-head. That means both would get in, and Notre Dame would likely be left out. So Notre Dame is in our projections, but they don’t completely control their own destiny.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Just like the Rebels, the Bulldogs have complete control of their own fate to win the SEC East and SEC Championship. Beating Auburn in the process would guarantee this team a spot in the College Football Playoff race, so it’s up to Mark Richt’s players to determine if they can finally get over the hump and win that ever-elusive national title. At least they don’t have to worry about any exterior circumstances in the process of getting to that point.
4. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils are playing as great as any Pac-12 team in football right now, but that’s not why we have them here. A loss by Notre Dame would put the Pac-12 back in the College Football Playoff Race, and as a 1-loss Pac-12 team, the Sun Devils play Notre Dame. They already control their own destiny to win the conference, and since they play the Irish, they also control their own destiny and the Pac-12’s destiny in getting back into the playoff race. That’s enough to keep them here.