"With two weeks left in the regular season, the playoff picture is coming into focus. At this point, the top six teams in the rankings seem like near locks. The ACC and the Group of 5 will supply champions, too, whether the Big Ten likes it or not. The winner of a Week 13 showdown between USC and Oregon should be on track for a bid,"
"And yet, the Tide check in at No. 10 this week, barely on the fringe of the playoff, behind both the Ducks and the Irish. Why? Because Alabama had the temerity to lose a game last week by two points -- a game in which it missed a field goal attempt on a controversial tipped ball, nearly doubled Oklahoma's yardage, and, based on net success rates, was clearly the unluckiest team in the country."
"Add it all up, and that's 10 of the 12 playoff spots already written in -- well, if not in ink, at least a really dark pencil. That leaves the teams still lurking on the periphery -- Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah, Vanderbilt, BYU and Miami, chief among them -- hoping each week that the committee will dig deep, focus on their strengths, set aside the occasional hiccups and value their ever-evolving résumés."
Two weeks remain in the regular season and the top six teams look like near locks for the playoff. The ACC and the Group of 5 champions are expected to claim automatic spots, while the USC–Oregon winner should be positioned for a bid. Notre Dame’s No. 9 ranking and light remaining schedule make exclusion unlikely. That combination accounts for roughly ten of the twelve playoff berths, leaving Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah, Vanderbilt, BYU and Miami on the periphery. Committee rankings change modestly each week, producing frustration as some teams argue strength of résumé and luck influence placement.
Read at ESPN.com
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