The College Football Playoff selection committee has to be loving all the SEC teams beating each other because it further stokes the fire that is the conversation about the SEC monopolizing the College Football Playoff field. With Oklahoma’s win over Alabama, it’s hard to contest why several SEC teams shouldn’t get in. It doesn’t make it right, but it’s easier to just put them in than to come up with a justified reason not to.
That’s what the new playoff field is going to look like: A whole lot of SEC teams. Alabama was the No. 4 team in the country going into the weekend and a loss to the No. 11 ranked Sooners won’t bump them out of the field. Miami is quickly becoming relevant again after all seemed lost after a stunning loss to Louisville.
The College Football Playoff field will be chaotic and erratic, but let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the selection committee for a bit. Here’s a look at the projected field after Miami and Oklahoma proved they aren’t out just yet.
Projected College Football Playoff field after Oklahoma’s résumé-building win
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Oregon Ducks
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Miami Hurricanes
- James Madison Dukes
SEC reigns supreme in CFP field after wild weekend
Texas is no longer in the field after getting whooped by Georgia on Saturday, and Oklahoma surges near the top four after taking down previously ranked No. 4 Alabama. I think Oklahoma gets a big boost just because they have a phenomenal road win over Alabama and have the strongest non-conference résumé of any SEC team in the field. Alabama won’t get knocked out of the field, but they’ll potentially have to play on the road in Eugene.
In this projected field, I have five SEC teams in the field, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Texas A&M and Georgia have been dominant all year and Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Alabama have all had strong seasons. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas sneak back in, assuming they end the year with a shocking win over Texas A&M.
A new G5 team enters the picture for third-straight week
The CFP selection committee is probably sick of all the G5 teams losing and forcing them to spend more time than they want on deciding which G5 team should replace them. I think James Madison is the safe option at this point, though. While the American beating themselves is proof of how good the teams are at the top, at some point, you have to look at other conferences.
James Madison’s resume isn’t great with no good wins and their only loss being to Louisville. That said, they have the best shot to actually win out and get a conference title. The Sun Belt is no American and James Madison is cruising in conference play. Besides, how exciting would it be to see Curt Cignetti to play against the team he built?
Does Miami have a life line in the College Football Playoff race?
The only bigger question than the G5 representative is what’s going on in the ACC. There are four, one-loss teams in the conference race right now, with Miami as a two-loss team just below them. Pitt still has to play Georgia Tech and Miami; Virginia still has Louisville and Georgia Tech has to play Georgia as well.
A lot can happen, but with Duke losing, it will eliminate one headache had the Blue Devils ran the ACC gamut. The best thing for the CFP is to get Miami in over the other teams, but it doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. For now, they’re still on my shortlist to get in, but it’s not certain just yet.
Miami is in the perfect spot to watch everything in front of them fall apart and continue to benefit from it. As long as they win out, they should have a window to get into the CFP as the ACC champion.