Projected College Football Playoff rankings after Miami loses to Pitt
The 2017 College Football Playoff rankings will look a bit different on Tuesday thanks to Pittsburgh’s upset of Miami.
A halftime interview with Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi was telling. The Panthers had all the confidence in the world while the usually swagger-packed Miami Hurricanes couldn’t figure out how to move the ball on a normally-porous Pitt defense.
Pittsburgh, led by freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett, seemingly stole Miami’s swagger and took down the nation’s No. 2 team at Heinz Field on Friday afternoon. This was supposed to be a layup game for the Hurricanes, but Miami just couldn’t seem to figure out the Panthers — a team, mind you, that didn’t reach six wins and bowl eligibility this season.
Miami had been known for bringing out the “Turnover Chain” dozens of times this season, but couldn’t feature it on Friday. The Panthers were playing an inspired style of football, but it was surprising to see the Hurricanes look relatively unenthused.
With the Hurricanes’ loss, the College Football Playoff picture is going to look a little different when the new rankings come out on Tuesday.
What will the top four look like? Here’s my guess:
- Alabama
- Clemson
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
Yes, the committee will finally give the Wisconsin Badgers some credit for going undefeated in the regular season, assuming they take care of Minnesota on Saturday. On top of that, I’m assuming Alabama beats Auburn, Clemson takes care of South Carolina and Oklahoma downs West Virginia. Anything can happen in Week 13, though.
Mark Richt has still done an incredible job with this Miami team and even though the Hurricanes are 10-1 heading into the ACC title game against Clemson, the chance to make the playoff is still there. If Miami beats Clemson in the ACC Championship Game next week, the Hurricanes will surely be in as a one-loss conference champion.
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Can you believe the weekend just started? If Friday’s start is any indication, Rivalry Week is going to be a little crazy.