NCAA Football Rankings 2015: Full Week 12 Polls, Playoff Predictions
The College Football Playoff committee will release its third poll Tuesday night, shaping what should assuredly be a final three weeks of excitement.
There are still at least five matchups that will serve as proverbial elimination games, including conference title games pitting playoff contenders against each other and a few mouthwatering contests this weekend.
As the playoff picture continues to take mold with the updated CFP rankings, here is a look at the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
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Matchups With Much At Stake
Michigan State at Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ back-loaded schedule has finally arrived. If they hope to win their second straight title, they’ll have to win five games in a row against Top 25-ranked teams—starting this weekend against Michigan State.
This is essentially a playoff elimination game, as a one-loss Big Ten champion seems likely to reach college football’s final four given what still lies ahead.
The Buckeyes must go unbeaten to ensure their trip to the Big Ten Championship Game. They could still reach the title game with some help, as Pete Fiutak of Campus Insiders elaborated, but they’re only guaranteed a spot with wins over the Spartans and No. 14 Michigan in the regular-season finale.
Michigan State is two weeks removed from a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to Nebraska, but can save face by running the table. Awaiting in the conference title game for either the Spartans or Buckeyes will likely be No. 5 Iowa, the first team on the outside looking in for the playoff.
Should the Spartans defeat the defending champs and another Top Five team in consecutive weeks, the committee would be hard-pressed to keep them out.
For the Buckeyes, it’s hard to imagine a team that’s weathered a cakewalk through nine games thus far marching through five juggernauts—Michigan State, Michigan, Big Ten title game opponent and then two playoff games. But there’d be no dispute for their crown should they accomplish the feat.
Baylor at Oklahoma State
This is a matchup of the surprise surge verus the has-been. Oklahoma State didn’t crack the Top 25 until Week 3, but has an outside shot at reaching the playoff by running the table.
Baylor, however, seems long lost following a 44-34 loss to upward Oklahoma, which seems to be the playoff dark horse.
The Cowboys’ lack of preseason credibility has them on the outside looking in. They certainly have a shot, but they’ll need to win out. They already overcame a similar test against No. 11 TCU, but the Bears will pose their biggest offensive threat yet.
Given the Big 12’s knock for lacking strength of schedule, the conference’s playoff hopes likely lie with an unbeaten. The only shot at such a notion seems like No. 7 Oklahoma, which FiveThirtyEight believes has a 44 percent chance at making the playoff, by far the highest among those not currently among the Top Four. The Sooners currently sit atop ESPN’s Football Power Index as well.
They still have to play the Cowboys on Nov. 28, though, in what is shaping up as a playoff elimination game—particularly if Oklahoma State handles business Saturday.
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