B/R CFB Community: What Teams Are Dark Horses to Make the College Football Playoff?
On a perfectly fine Saturday, college football lost its mind. In fact, over the course of a few hours, chaos ruled as the 2022 season took on a new shape.
In terms of the College Football Playoff, the impact of Week 7 will be determined in the weeks ahead. But losses from Alabama, USC, Oklahoma State and Penn State served as a recalibration of sorts.
Still, many of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff remain unscathed. With the release of the first CFP rankings a few weeks away, however, we're searching for dark-horse teams capable of closing the gap between now and the end of the year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
To do this, we asked B/R readers to give us College Football Playoff dark horses as the season progresses.
Here are some of our favorites.
Cigar Smoke, Broken Goal Posts and Hope
User: @Tallahasseevol
Response: I'd say Tennessee but at this point it's not really crashing—they look like they belong
Well said, @Tallahasseevol.
At this point, it's hard to know if Tennessee crashing the playoff would be an upset or not. Although, in the spirit of embracing this team and performance a little while longer, let's discuss.
Still unbeaten, Tennessee has put itself in a dream position. The Vols climbed to No. 3 in the AP Poll this week after their thrilling, walk-off win over Alabama.
The offense, of course, is playoff worthy. QB Hendon Hooker might win a Heisman along the way, and Tennessee's wideouts are immensely gifted. While the defense wasn't great against Alabama, it's been relatively solid all year.
In terms of a path to the playoff, well, this is where it gets interesting. Tennessee plays UT Martin next before a home game against Kentucky and a road game against Georgia. The matchup in Athens, of course, is particularly intriguing.
A win there, and Tennessee will be in prime position to win the SEC East. While that wouldn’t lock up a spot in the playoff, it would get the Vols awfully close.
A loss there, and things get muddy. While Tennessee wouldn’t be out of the picture, it might not make the SEC Championship Game. That certainly complicates things, although nothing is impossible.
This much I know; I absolutely do not want to play this team right now.
Big, Beautiful and Orange
User: @mitchellrapp
Response: Syracuse has a top-10 D and a nasty trifecta on O…if they pull off a huge upset in Death Valley and end Clemson's home winning streak. Schedule looks manageable after that! Average margin of victory halfway through season is 36-13 points. Let's go, Orange!
We won't have to wait long for this prediction to look really good or really not-so-good. By this time next week, we should know how and if Syracuse fits into the playoff puzzle.
First, let's celebrate a tremendous start to the year. Dino Babers' team is 6-0, balanced and not at all a fluke. Syracuse currently has the nation's No. 6 scoring defense, which it couples with one of the most dynamic running backs in college football. (Sean Tucker is No. 9 in the nation in yards from scrimmage.)
It isn't an overwhelming formula, although it has worked wonders. And with wins over Louisville, Purdue and NC State, Syracuse has had to work for it.
Now, the fun begins. The Orange will travel to Clemson during Week 8. The Tigers will be a sizable favorite, which feels about right. An upset, however, feels attainable.
A win changes everything. Granted, Syracuse would still need to win out to make a push for the playoff, which will be no small feat. Games against Notre Dame, at Pittsburgh, Florida State and at Wake Forest—plus an ACC Championship Game if all goes well—are still to come.
All of it is likely too much to ask, but don’t let this real talk damper your enthusiasm, 'Cuse.
Keep winning, make it weird and prove us wrong.
Back From the Dead
User: @james_kramer
Response: Oregon Ducks
Back in early September, this prediction would have sounded impossible. But now, many weeks later, Oregon has at least put itself back into the equation.
Before we look ahead, we must first revisit the Week 1 clunker against Georgia. Oregon lost 49-3, and the Ducks never really did much of anything.
Losses that bad sometimes torpedo CFP hopes entirely. Although the fact that it came against Georgia certainly helps ease that notion some.
Since that game, Oregon has gone 5-0. Its best win likely came against BYU or Washington State, which is a nice way of saying the schedule hasn't been all that difficult.
Still, Dan Lanning's group has rebounded nicely, and Oregon has a chance to bolster its playoff resume this weekend against UCLA.
Even before this game, the Ducks are the No. 10 team in the AP Poll. Now, in order to push for the playoff, it needs to rack up quality wins. Saturday will help, although it can't stop there.
Oregon still plays Washington and Utah. After that, it could match up with another team—perhaps USC—in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
We shall see. This one feels unlikely with one colossal loss already in the books, but it is by no means out of reach.
Beware the Purple Frogs
User: @BigDaddt250
Response: TCU – Big 12
This one is mighty intriguing for a few reasons.
While we spent the offseason deciding on whether Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor or Oklahoma State would win the conference, TCU has emerged as a deserving favorite to win the Big 12. Whether that is enough to crack the playoff is still to be decided, although the Horned Frogs have done enough so far.
In the past three weeks, TCU has beaten a ranked team—Oklahoma, Kansas and Oklahoma State—at the time the game was played. This streak of ranked opponents will stay alive in Week 8 when the Horned Frogs take on Kansas State.
Max Duggan has been excellent at quarterback, and head coach Sonny Dykes has obviously had a huge impact on the program. The offense rallied tremendously on Saturday after a rough first half, although it proved to be plenty.
As it stands, TCU is No. 8 in the AP Poll. After K-State, the Frogs still play Texas and Baylor before the regular season ends.
It might take an undefeated season to get to the playoff, although this feels within reach. We have a long way to go, but TCU has quite the dark-horse feel about it.
I'm in.
All Aboard
User: @blazeting21
Response: Ole Miss. Running game is elite and Jaxson Dart is improving with each week.
Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, as we just discussed, are popular picks for the playoff these days. But the SEC has another unbeaten team lingering, and it's coached by the one and only Lane Kiffin.
Yes, throw Ole Miss in there. Why not?
The Rebels are 7-0 following a 48-34 win over Auburn. As @blazeting21 points out, the rushing attack has been excellent. Ole Miss ran for 448 yards on Saturday. For the year, Kiffin's team is No. 3 in the nation in rushing yards, behind only Air Force and Army.
If Ole Miss wins out, it's in the playoff. In fact, the Rebels will probably be the No. 1 overall seed.
There is, of course, a catch. Ole Miss plays at LSU on Saturday. Following that game, the Rebels play at Texas A&M, against Alabama, at Arkansas and then against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Get through all of that, and Georgia or Tennessee will be waiting in the SEC Championship Game.
It is a truly brutal stretch of games to end the season. While it feels like we need to see more from the defense if Ole Miss is going to navigate such a difficult sequence of games, don't expect Kiffin or his team to go down quietly.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
