College Football Playoff 2018: Who is still alive after Week 1?
By Zach Bigalke
Who is legitimately still alive in 2018 after Week 1 action?
To evaluate the 20 teams that headed the list of contenders in the polls entering the 2018 season, we will evaluate their actual margins of victory against an averaged margin-of-victory target combining the median for opponent level and location of the contest.
Three, of course, are still technically alive. Miami still needs to play No. 25 LSU, while either No. 19 Florida State or No. 20 Virginia Tech will lose when they meet in Tallahassee. Of the 17 teams that have already played their season openers in Week 1, only seven teams met the margin-of-victory targets.
Alabama leads the list after their 51-14 dismantling of Louisville in Orlando. West Virginia did likewise in their neutral-site game against a fellow Power Five opponent, taking down Tennessee 40-14 in Charlotte.
Ohio State had the only game where they passed the benchmark at home against another Power Five opponent. The Buckeyes took care of business in their 77-31 victory at the Horseshoe over Oregon State. Oklahoma, meanwhile, routed Florida Atlantic in their battle against a Group of Five challenger.
| TEAM | AP 25 | COACH | WEEK 1 OPPONENT AND RESULT | MOV | GEOG | LVL | AVG | +/- |
| Alabama | 1 | 1 | Won 51-14 vs. Louisville in Orlando | 37 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 |
| Ohio State | 5 | 3 | Won 77-31 vs. Oregon State | 46 | 39 | 17 | 28 | 18 |
| Mississippi State | 18 | 18 | Won 63-6 vs. FCS Stephen F. Austin | 56 | 39 | 44 | 42 | 15 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 5 | Won 63-14 vs. Florida Atlantic | 49 | 39 | 38 | 39 | 11 |
| West Virginia | 17 | 20 | Won 40-14 vs. Tennessee in Charlotte | 26 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 9 |
| TCU | 16 | 16 | Won 55-7 vs. FCS Southern | 48 | 39 | 44 | 42 | 7 |
| Georgia | 3 | 4 | Won 45-0 vs. FCS Austin Peay | 45 | 39 | 44 | 42 | 4 |
| Clemson | 2 | 2 | Won 48-7 vs. FCS Furman | 41 | 39 | 44 | 42 | -1 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 7 | Won 34-3 vs. Western Kentucky | 31 | 39 | 38 | 39 | -8 |
| Auburn | 9 | 10 | Won 21-16 vs. No. 6 Wash. in Atlanta | 5 | 17 | 17 | 17 | -12 |
| USC | 15 | 15 | Won 43-21 vs. UNLV | 22 | 39 | 38 | 39 | -17 |
| Stanford | 13 | 13 | Won 31-10 vs. San Diego State | 21 | 39 | 38 | 39 | -18 |
| Michigan | 14 | 14 | Lost 24-17 at No. 12 Notre Dame | -7 | 9.5 | 17 | 13 | -20 |
| Notre Dame | 12 | 11 | Won 24-17 vs. No. 14 Michigan | 7 | 39 | 17 | 28 | -21 |
| Washington | 6 | 6 | Lost 21-16 vs. No. 9 Auburn in Atlanta | -5 | 17 | 17 | 17 | -22 |
| Penn State | 10 | 9 | Won 45-38 (OT) vs. Appalachian State | 7 | 39 | 38 | 39 | -32 |
| Michigan State | 11 | 12 | Won 38-31 vs. Utah State | 7 | 39 | 38 | 39 | -32 |
| Virginia Tech | 20 | 17 | Monday at No. 19 Florida State | — | 9.5 | 17 | 13 | TBD |
| Miami | 8 | 8 | Sunday vs. No. 25 LSU in Arlington | — | 17 | 17 | 17 | TBD |
| Florida State | 19 | 19 | Monday vs. No. 20 Virginia Tech | — | 39 | 17 | 28 | TBD |
The last three teams above the cut line after week one all played FCS opponents. TCU won 55-7 against Southern, Georgia took down Austin Peay 45-0, and Mississippi State knocked off Stephen F. Austin 63-6. Clemson also fell within one point of reaching the expected margin of victory in their contest against Furman, making them a team to keep watching as well.
Next. Top 30 breakout candidates for the 2018 season. dark
The only teams truly eliminated, though, are those that lost this weekend. Michigan and Washington fell to Notre Dame and Auburn respectively, and they would break precedent if they manage to recover and reach the College Football Playoff this season.
In the world of college football, the regular season will always be an eliminator no matter how many teams reach a playoff.