So you’re saying there’s a chance? Eli Drinkwitz thinks Missouri can make the CFP

The Missouri Tigers surprised many fans when they wound up ranked No. 24 in the College Football Playoff committee's first rankings after Week 10.

Now, after a dramatic 30-23 win over Oklahoma and sitting at 7-2, it's plausible the Tigers move up slightly after Week 11. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz thinks the win was enough to keep his team relevant in the playoff conversation.

"It gives us another win, keeps us in the playoff hunt. That's right. I said it. Playoff hunt," he told ESPN's Cole Cubelic in a post-game interview.

At first listen, Drinkwitz sounds pretty delusional. Missouri has two losses in an already crowded SEC field that might not get as many bids as once thought. But maybe he isn't so crazy.

What is Missouri's path to the CFP?

According to ESPN's Playoff Predictor, Missouri currently has an eight percent chance to make the playoff but there's still a lot of football left to be played that could change that. Let's take a look at each of the Tigers' remaining three matchups.

Missouri v. South Carolina (Nov. 15)

Drinkwitz's boys are only given a 30 percent to beat Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks, so this will be their first tough test. Missouri's only ranked win of the year was against then-No. 24 Boston College. Since then, they've lost two ranked matchups to SEC neighbors and are in desperate need of a resume booster. If South Carolina is ranked by the CFP committee Tuesday, then the Week 12 matchup will be even more of a tough must-win.

Missouri v. Mississippi State (Nov. 22)

If Missouri gets past South Carolina, then it should be relatively smooth sailing from then on out. The Tigers should have no trouble vanquishing lowly Mississippi State, which ESPN says they have a 71 percent chance to do. Take care of business here and there's just one last hurdle to clear.

Arkansas v. Missouri (Nov. 29)

Missouri are given a 63 percent chance to defeat the Razorbacks, which might be more difficult than it seems. Arkansas did beat mighty Tennessee earlier in the year but the Volunteers eventually recovered from that misstep. No such luxury exists for Missouri as this would be a do-or-die game.

If Missouri runs the table over its final three games, it still probably wouldn't make the SEC title game unless a lot of other things went their way. That being said, ESPN still gives the Tigers a 61 percent chance of making the 12-team field. They would sneak in as an 11-seed and travel to South Bend and face 8-seed Notre Dame in the first round.