College Football Playoff 2020: Projected top 4 after Week 9

This past weekend gave a huge shakeup with an upset that could define the College Football Playoff with the introduction of a Group of Five team.

There was only one ranked matchup in Week 9. Despite that, there were still key moments and excellent performances from multiple top teams. Upsets were still there this far out into the season as the race for the 2020 College Football Playoff is set to expand more with the introduction of the Pac-12.

This past weekend, the pressure was on for multiple top teams in the nation.

No. 3 Ohio State had to travel to Happy Valley to face No. 18 Penn State in the only ranked matchup of the week. The Buckeyes needed to keep their momentum going against a Nittany Lions team that refused to go down easily despite being outscored 21-6 in the first half. This 38-25 victory in a tough road environment was a big win for the Buckeyes and solidifies them as an elite playoff contender.

College football fans were rocked by the news of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence testing positive for COVID-19 last Thursday. This would be a big impact on the Tigers as they had to host a hungry Boston College team with four wins. The Eagles took the Tigers by surprise, leading as much as 28-10 near the end of the second quarter. It wasn’t until backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei took the game over in the second half that they pulled ahead and won 34-28.

The biggest surprise that shook the playoff race was the loss of No. 6 Oklahoma State at home with a 41-34 score in overtime to the Texas Longhorns. This loss was huge for the Cowboys as they were the last team in the Big 12 to sit undefeated. This likely pushes the Big 12 out of the playoff contention. This might potentially help a Group of Five team or a shortened-season Pac-12 squad and their chances at a playoff spot.

Here are the projections for the 2020 College Football Playoff after Week 9.