College Football Playoff 2017: New Year’s Six projections entering Week 11

Orange Bowl

Capital One Orange Bowl:  Miami (ACC) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Fla.)
When: Dec. 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Last week’s projection: Miami vs. Penn State

Last week I said the following statement.

“Penn State shouldn’t be here right now, that’s what fans, coaches and players are telling themselves right now.”

Well, I was wrong. Not only don’t they deserve to be here but they aren’t even in the projections for this week. That’s what happens when you lose two in a row. Good job Nittany Lions.

Anyway, we still have a team from the Big Ten in this spot but it is Wisconsin. An undefeated Wisconsin that at this point is getting absolutely no love for the playoff. Even in last week’s projections I tried to put the Badgers into the playoff just to see if they could have some type of staying power but they just do not cut the mustard when it comes to other playoff contenders.

Miami is also an undefeated team that isn’t getting much love but unlike the Badgers, they can help themselves with a win over projected playoff foe Notre Dame. The ACC race is becoming a two-team sprint to the conference title game with Miami and Clemson. While Miami sits in the ACC’s spot, it will be interesting to see where Clemson lands this week.

Week 11 outlook: Wisconsin hosts Iowa at home in the first of two big games that can make or break the Badgers chances before the Big Ten title game. You beat Iowa and that’s the first win that folks around the nation, including myself that will actually help the Badgers playoff case. Miami has their biggest game since the 2002 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State coming up. A win validates the turnaround under Mark Richt so that will be something to look out for, it make go a long way in deciding their fate.