The plot is thickening. At the half way point of the season we are starting to see separation. Our playoff players are clear but with so much chaos still possible, a few two loss teams are suddenly separating among the eliminated as well. Alabama and Ohio State look like the clear power players this year which is no surprise. Clemson looks sick but still very much capable of making the playoff, not dissimilar from Florida State 2014. Michigan and Texas A&M are poised to jump into the Buckeye and Tide stratosphere but they will have to step up and knock off the giants in their respective games to establish themselves. For the Wolverines they have to wait and stay perfect the rest of this season. Texas A&M will have its chance against impossible odds this weekend and if David does knock off Goliath, the Aggies must remember that Rebels, Tigers and a potential SEC title game still remain. For Michigan, if they do beat Ohio State they might have to contend with the Badgers again or an old foe from the 90’s in Nebraska. This says nothing of the two undefeated Big 12 teams, the dangerous Huskies lurking in the Pacific Northwest and scarily quiet Louisville, Florida, Utah and even Boise lurking just outside the picture.
The SEC picture will become clearer this week but we could get our first bowl elimination this week if Rice goes 0-7. At the top of the bracket several teams will find themselves 7-0 or 8-0 and ready to enter the home stretch to the playoff.
The “Win And Your In” Conference
The Undefeated Division
Alabama (7-0)
• USC
• Western Kentucky
• Ole Miss
• Tennessee
• Arkansas
Ohio State (6-0)
• Wisconsin
• Tulsa
• Oklahoma
• Indiana
Texas A&M (6-0)
• Auburn
• Arkansas
• Tennessee
Clemson (7-0)
• Auburn
• Troy
• Louisville
Michigan (6-0)
• Colorado
• Penn State
• Wisconsin
Baylor (6-0)
• Oklahoma State
West Virginia (7-0)
• Kansas State
Nebraska (6-0)
• Indiana
Washington (6-0)
• Stanford
The “No Room For Error – G5 Edition” Division
Western Michigan (7-0)
Boise State (6-0)
The “No Room For Error – P5 Edition” Division
Louisville (5-1)
Utah (6-1)
Florida (5-1)
The Eliminated Conference
The “One Loss G5’s” Division
South Florida (6-1)
Navy (4-1)
Memphis (5-1)
Houston (6-1)
San Diego State (5-1)
Toledo (5-1)
Troy (5-1)
The “I’m Pretty Sure You’re Dead…Right?” Division
Florida State (5-2)
Oklahoma (4-2)
Iowa (5-2)
Wisconsin (4-2)
Washington State (4-2)
Auburn (4-2)
LSU (4-2)
Arkansas (5-2)
The “Not Playoff Good But Still Good” Division
Tulsa (4-2)
North Carolina (5-2)
Pittsburgh (5-2)
Virginia Tech (4-2)
Oklahoma State (4-2)
Minnesota (4-2)
Western Kentucky (4-3)
Eastern Michigan (5-2)
Central Michigan (5-2)
Colorado (5-2)
Tennessee (5-2)
Arizona State (5-2)
Appalachian State (4-2)
Ole Miss (3-3)
The “Averagely Frisky” Division
Temple (4-3)
Wake Forest (5-2)
North Carolina State (4-2)
Miami (4-2)
Georgia Tech (4-3)
TCU (4-2)
Penn State (4-2)
Maryland (4-2)
Old Dominion (4-2)
Middle Tennessee State (4-2)
Louisiana Tech (4-3)
Southern Miss (4-3)
Army (4-2)
BYU (4-3)
Ohio (4-3)
Akron (4-3)
Ball State (4-3)
Wyoming (4-2)
Air Force (4-2)
Stanford (4-2)
USC (4-2)
Idaho (4-3)
Indiana (3-3)
Kansas State (3-3)
Kentucky (3-3)
“The Averagely Disappointing” Division
UCF (3-3)
UConn (3-4)
Cincinnati (3-3)
Tulane (3-3)
Syracuse (3-4)
Boston College (3-3)
Duke (3-4)
Texas Tech (3-3)
Northwestern (3-3)
FIU (3-4)
North Texas (3-3)
UTSA (3-3)
Colorado State (3-4)
UNLV (3-4)
Hawaii (3-4)
Nevada (3-4)
California (3-3)
UCLA (3-4)
Georgia (4-3)
Vanderbilt (3-4)
Georgia Southern (3-3)
South Alabama (3-3)
The “Bad” Division
New Mexico (3-3)
Texas (3-3)
Purdue (3-3)
ECU (2-4)
South Carolina (2-4)
Missouri (2-4)
SMU (2-4)
Virginia (2-4)
Mississippi State (2-4)
Illinois (2-4)
Marshall (2-4)
Charlotte (2-5)
Notre Dame (2-5)
Kent State (2-5)
Utah State (2-4)
San Jose State (2-5)
Oregon State (2-4)
Oregon (2-4)
Arizona (2-5)
The “Ugly” Division
Kansas (1-5)
Iowa State (1-6)
Rutgers (2-5)
FAU (1-6)
UTEP (1-5)
UMass (1-6)
Miami (OH) (1-6)
Buffalo (1-5)
Bowling Green (1-6)
North Illinois (1-6)
Fresno State (1-6)
The “Rice” Division
Rice (0-6)
