College Football Playoff: 12 remaining games that will decide Top 4

College Football Playoff: The 12 remaining games that will decide the Top 4

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 25: Ohio State Buckeyes running back J.K. Dobbins (2) runs with the ball during game action between the Ohio State Buckeyes (8) and the Michigan Wolverines on November 25, 2017 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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ATHENS, GA – SEPTEMBER 07: Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) celebrates a touchdown with running back D’Andre Swift (7) in the first half of the Murray State Racers v Georgia Bulldogs game on September 7, 2019 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 4 Georgia at No. 12 Auburn (Nov. 16)

The inclusion of the Georgia Bulldogs as the No. 4 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings was met with quite a bit of resistance, particularly from those in Tuscaloosa. The argument for the Crimson Tide is that a loss to the top-ranked team in the country shouldn’t put them below a team that lost to South Carolina earlier this season.

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs will have an immediate chance to prove themselves in Week 12, though. They go on the road to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face one of the best defenses in college football, the Auburn Tigers.

If Georgia is going to make a viable bid to be in the final four at the end of the season (SEC Championship Game aside), they need another signature win. Jake Fromm will not only need to play perhaps his best game of the season against a fierce Auburn front led by Derrick Brown but the Bulldogs defense will need to make Bo Nix look like a freshman and, more importantly, stop the run effectively.

No. 8 Minnesota at No. 20 Iowa (Nov. 16)

Heading into Week 11, everyone was ready for P.J. Fleck‘s Minnesota Golden Gophers to be proven fraudulent against Penn State. Instead, Tanner Morgan and the Gophers proved that they are not a team to be taken lightly as they protected their home field in a 31-26 victory over Penn State. But the tests don’t stop coming for Minnesota as they now have a trip to Iowa on the docket.

For my money, the Hawkeyes are one of the most overrated teams in college football. They’ve lost to every ranked opponent that they’ve played this season, including falling last week to Wisconsin. Having said that, Kinnick Stadium is a raucous environment and the hard-nosed Hawkeyes will give the Minnesota offense everything they can handle.

The Golden Gophers will have yet another chance to prove that they are no fluke in this one. If Morgan, Tyler Johnson and the offense can continue to roll on the road in Iowa City, Minnesota will start to make a strong case to be considered for the top four.

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