College Football Playoff 2017: 8 one-loss teams that can still make it

The College Football Playoff is the ultimate goal for any Power Five team. Which of those teams that have a blemish on their record still have a chance?

Week 5 did a number on quite a few of the top college football programs in action over the weekend. Even teams that escaped with a victory like the Penn State Nittany Lions, USC Trojans, and Florida Gators, had to make a huge effort in the fourth quarter to secure victories.

We saw upstart teams like the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Mississippi State Bulldogs, and Oregon Ducks fall. Yet, maybe the most shocking loss of the weekend came from the Florida State Seminoles, who were upset by the NC State Wolfpack in their first game with true freshman James Blackman as the starting quarterback after the season-ending injury to star sophomore Deondre Francois against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the season opener.

Conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 could easily send a team to the College Football Playoff that has one loss. Last year, the Washington Huskies, Clemson Tigers, and Ohio State Buckeyes all had one loss on their record. Ohio State did not even win their conference or their division.

It’s starting to get at that point in the season where we have to look at teams that are down but not forgotten. Plenty of teams have comeback from early season losses to get red hot in the second half. This season could have a similar result. Early losses can motivate some teams to play with some urgency for the rest of the year.

There has yet to be a two-loss team in the Playoff. Some cannibalizing of teams currently at the top of the AP Poll would have to happen for a two-loss team to get into the field.

Now, let’s take a look at all the one-loss teams in the country that still have a legitimate shot at getting into the Playoff.