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The College Football Playoff selection committee's job is getting easier with each passing week as contenders like Southern Cal, South Carolina, LSU, and Missouri continue to falter. By Selection Sunday, the bracket for the final 12-team playoff could be relatively straightforward, marking a tidy conclusion to this era of the postseason format.
Just a year ago, Missouri remained in the playoff conversation despite a 27-point loss to Georgia. The impending 24-team playoff, however, is a different beast entirely. Some fans may not yet fully grasp how detrimental the expanded format could be, while others may already be opposed to it. Here are some key takeaways from Week 11.
Projected CFP Rankings
Georgia: Kirby Smart's Bulldogs silenced any lingering doubts, effectively ending Eli Drinkwitz's playful banter. Utah: The Utes' victory at Arizona provided additional evidence that their decision to move on from Kyle Whittingham and promote Morgan Scalley was correct, giving them a cushion in the playoff race. UCLA: The committee recognized the Bruins' undefeated record last week, and Alabama's drop from the top strength-of-schedule spot could justify UCLA moving up one place. Alabama: The Crimson Tide didn't overwhelm after traveling to Nashville, but their win over Vanderbilt was never in doubt. Notre Dame: The Irish may not face an FCS opponent, but they treated Boston College as if they were one. Texas: The Longhorns secured a win despite leading for only three seconds in the final three quarters. Was there any real question that LSU would eventually collapse? Miami: The Hurricanes will need Malachi Toney back to make a playoff run, but they might not need him to qualify, as Darian Mensah has the ACC under control. Indiana: It's time to revisit the narrative of Curt Cignetti winning with an experienced team. The Hoosiers found their quarterback in seventh-year senior Grant Wilson. Tennessee: Consider the potential playoff matchup between Indiana and Tennessee's defenses. First team to 20 points wins? On second thought, 14 might be enough. Brigham Young: The Cougars have gone 29-6 over the past three seasons. If they reach 10-2, the committee can't ignore them as easily as they did the past two years, thanks to a win over Notre Dame—a resume line Texas Tech can't match. Wake Forest: If the Demon Deacons are ranked outside the top 11 this week, committee members should be strapped to a lie detector and asked if they've watched a single Wake Forest game this season. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders dominated Oklahoma State, but their shaky resume took a hit when Houston (their best win) lost to Colorado. Group of Six top team: Boise State, which the committee seems determined to undervalue.
Big Ten's Push for 24-Team Playoff
Before the season, USA TODAY named Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti the most powerful figure in college football, and Sports Illustrated echoed that sentiment earlier this month. How does one earn such recognition? By outmaneuvering your Power Four peers. There's a real possibility that the ACC and Big 12 will each qualify as many teams for the 12-team playoff as the Big Ten (two apiece), and the SEC could double the Big Ten's bid total. Yet Petitti convinced his Power Four counterparts that a 24-team playoff would be a splendid idea—splendid for the Big Ten, that is. Consider this: The SEC decided to eliminate its conference championship game after 35 years so that Southern Cal could finally make the playoff. Petitti pulled a fast one on everyone, including the mighty SEC, whose commissioner Greg Sankey is busy complaining about TV announcers.
24-Team Playoff: A Safety Net for Mediocre Teams
Regarding the expanded bracket, think about the teams that would still be alive after losing in Week 11. South Carolina would remain in contention despite being routed by Arkansas, one of the SEC's weakest teams. The SEC's PR machine would try to convince the committee that Missouri's 48-21 loss at Georgia qualifies as a quality loss. Lincoln Riley keeps insisting USC is close, and technically he's right—once the playoff doubles in size, he'd be close to qualifying despite the Trojans crumbling in a 27-13 loss to Indiana. And, good gracious, LSU would still be in the hunt after blowing it against Texas and falling to 0-4 against the four above-average teams they've faced. Lane Kiffin hinted after the loss that patience is required. Indeed, with a little patience, the 24-team bracket will arrive to lift four-loss teams into playoff contention. For now, we can finally stop pretending LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, and USC are CFP contenders.
Three and Out
1. The SEC endured a rough weekend for its bid-stacking ambitions, and its chances of matching last year's total of five bids took a significant hit. The best-case scenario for the SEC now would be for Tennessee to handle LSU next weekend, solidifying a four-bid lineup of Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee.
2. Set aside the records, examine the resumes, and recognize that the Big Ten's best shot at a third playoff qualifier is Oregon (7-3), not Iowa (8-2). The Ducks have better wins and a stronger strength of schedule. Expect Oregon to leapfrog Iowa in the rankings.
3. Considering Colorado (4-6) has Cincinnati and UCF up next after beating Houston, the Buffaloes can still qualify for a bowl game. And if Colorado is making bowl games with Deion Sanders, then one must ask whether Colorado could justify parting ways with him.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Listen to his podcast, "College Football Unfiltered." Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CFP rankings mess is clearing up. Enjoy it before 24-team clown show arrives.
Originally reported by yahoo.