One of the more whimsical results of the impact that COVID-19 has had on the college football season came on Saturday, when BYU headed to Coastal Carolina. The game was not scheduled until Wednesday, which means that BYU’s equipment truck had to head out of Provo, Utah, right at the end of practice that day — before the game was officially confirmed — to make sure the players would have everything they needed for game day. Two of the nation’s unbeaten teams outside the Power 5, BYU and Coastal Carolina had a negligible chance to make the College Football Playoff but decided to give the game a shot after their original games were canceled. Despite coming in with a high-octane offense, BYU was upset by Coastal Carolina. This won’t put the Chanticleers in the top four, by any means, but their willingness to play contrasts with the safe strategy that so many of the Power 5 contenders use to avoid difficult matchups, particularly outside conference play.
As you consider your sports betting options for college football futures, take a look at our predictions for Tuesday’s latest CFP standings.
NCAA News: This Week’s College Football Playoff Prediction
Last week, the top seven teams did not budge an inch. Alabama, currently the #1 team in the CFP rankings, did nothing to endanger that status in a 55-17 walloping of LSU. It is sad how far the Tigers have fallen after winning a national championship a year ago. That gave Alabama a slot in the SEC Championship, and even if they lose that game, they could still have a slot in the playoff, given the large number of one-loss and two-loss teams in the Power 5.
Notre Dame is still second in the rankings and ran away from Syracuse in the second quarter en route to a 45-21 win. The Fighting Irish have already clinched a slot in the ACC Championship, where Clemson, the third-ranked team in the CFP polls, will meet them after beating Virginia Tech on Saturday. The winner of the ACC Championship will certainly go to the playoff and might jump up to #1, if it’s Notre Dame, because they would have more quality wins than Alabama, having beaten Clemson twice. If it’s Clemson, it would be hard to knock an unbeaten Alabama team out of the top seed. Would a two-loss Clemson team stay in the top four?
Ohio State came in as the fourth seed and demolished Michigan State by 40 points without 23 of their players, due to COVID-19 cases. The Buckeyes’ fortunes hang on Michigan’s ability to manage COVID-19 and play on Saturday. If Michigan has to cancel, then Ohio State would only have five games, not enough to qualify for the Big Ten Championship. If they can’t win their conference, it is hard to see them getting a playoff slot.
Texas A&M, ranked fifth, struggled a bit with Auburn but ended up putting the Tigers away in the fourth period. The Aggies can’t qualify for the SEC Championship, but they did beat Florida, who faces Alabama for the SEC title. Should Ohio State fail to qualify, or if Clemson loses a second time to Notre Dame, then the Aggies could get one of the four slots.
Florida is ranked sixth and beat Tennessee with relative ease to clinch the SEC East. Next up is a date with LSU. If Florida beats LSU and Alabama, they would have a slot in the CFP. Alabama might have one as well and would have a strong case with a win over Texas A&M (who beat Florida).
Cincinnati holds the seventh slot and has the highest ranking of any team outside the Power 5. They face Tulsa this weekend to wind up the regular season and then again in the AAC Championship. The Bearcats would need to sweep and likely need Notre Dame and Alabama to win their conference championships. They would also need Ohio State to fail to qualify. Then that could lead to a national semifinal that featured Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Cincinnati as the top four. It is unlikely, but if the Bearcats can win emphatically both times, the other outcomes are not all that unlikely to happen.
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