Which one-loss teams are still alive for the College Football Playoff?
The College Football Playoff has opened up the field for teams over the past two years. Instead of perfection being almost necessary, schools can sneak in with one loss and have a shot at the National Championship. The 2015 title game saw the 12-1 Ohio State Buckeyes win it all. Even Alabama and Oregon finished with one loss at the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively.
With college football nearing its midseason, more than a handful of ranked teams have one loss. There’s a chance some of them may even run the table and make it to the College Football Playoff. Who could do that by the end of the year?
5. Arkansas
The dominance of Alabama, the rise of Texas A&M, and the fall of LSU have controlled the SEC headlines. However, Arkansas has quietly snuck their way into the polls, and is now at No. 17. They stand at 4-1 and have a tough schedule coming up, but if they can get by their next few games, a spot in the College Football Playoff could be in their future.
Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, they’re facing No. 1 Alabama on October 8 and No. 14 Ole Miss one week after. They’re two difficult opponents and walking out unscathed may be an impossible task.
Arkansas is very talented on offense, though. They are led by quarterback Austin Allen, who has 1,232 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has yet to face this Alabama defense, who have dominated most of their opponents. When they faced Ole Miss, though, quarterback Chad Kelly lit them up for 421 yards and three touchdowns, and narrowly lost. If Allen can put up a similar performance, there’s a chance of a win. If not, the Hogs will drop to 4-2 and likely see their playoff hopes disappear. This seems likely as they haven’t defeated the Crimson Tide since 2006. This may be one of the best Arkansas teams in recent memory, however. So, if they can pull off this win, their shot at the College Football Playoff will rise.