Top 10 College Football Playoff contenders after Week 9
After an exciting College Football Week 9, we break down the top 10 College Football Playoff contenders as the first set of rankings are about to come out.
The College Football Playoff rankings are coming out this week and it seems like a perfect time to take stock of the top contenders as we head into November.
We saw a number of upsets in College Football Week 9. The biggest in terms of the College Football Playoff chase was probably Kansas State drubbing Oklahoma State and effectively, leaving the Big 12 with just one viable playoff contender left.
The most important win was probably Ohio State’s after the Buckeyes rallied for a win over Penn State. That kept Ohio State on track and also eliminated Penn State as a contender.
The reality is that there are a dozen or so teams with even an outside shot at cracking the top four of the College Football Playoff and here is a look at the top 10. This isn’t a projection of where teams should be ranked.
Instead, it’s a look at how likely it is they ascend to the top four, and with that in mind, we’ll break down the resume of each contender and examine how they can make the College Football Playoff.
Tied 10th: Ole Miss, Illinois, UCLA
Each of these teams would have been considered long shots to reach the College Football Playoff to start the season but all are sitting at 7-1 after Week 9.
Illinois is probably the most underrated college football team in the country right now. The defense has been dominant and Chase Brown is maybe the best running back in college football outside of Blake Corum.
In fact, the formula Illinois is using is very similar to Michigan’s. The Fighting Illini will face the Wolverines and if they win that game, they would likely face Ohio State for the Big Ten title.
The bottom line is that if Illinois keeps winning, it will make the playoff and the same can be said about Ole Miss in the SEC and UCLA, especially thanks to its win over Utah. Imagine if the Bruins beat Utah, USC, and Oregon en route to winning the Pac-12 championship?
For UCLA, it would depend on some other conferences. But they would have a great shot. Illinois and Ole Miss would make it regardless based on the wins it would take to win a conference championship. All three are long shots but realistic enough to be tied for 10th.
9. USC
Right now, we have USC ahead of these teams simply based on talent and the eye test, which still matters. Having Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley still matters and the resume will improve with wins over UCLA and in the Pac-12 title game.
If the Trojans win out, they aren’t guaranteed to make it. Imagine an undefeated champ in the Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, and SEC. In that scenario, the Trojans are probably sitting at home, just like UCLA and Oregon would be.
Yet, Clemson and TCU still have tough games ahead and both looked flawed. The Trojans also won’t be hurt as badly by the loss to Utah if the Utes get back to the title game and USC is able to avenge that loss.