- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- Michigan
With all four teams unbeaten and playing well, few would argue with those selections. But a closer look tells us that it would be nearly impossible for the final rankings to end up the same.
"The Game of the Year" will be played this Saturday, and either Georgia or Tennessee will knock the other from the unbeaten ranks. Not to be outdone, all signs point to Michigan and Ohio State bringing 11-0 records to their clash at the end of November. The losers of those contests, with 1-loss and not eligible for their conference's championship game, would need plenty of help to finish among the final four.
That's not to say the committee's job will be easy. In fact, the CFP leadership may find themselves faced with the following scenario:
- Alabama wins out, finishes 11-1 and captures the SEC West
- Georgia beats Tennessee and finishes 12-0, winning the SEC East
- If Alabama beats Georgia, a 1-loss SEC Champ is almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs
- If Georgia, previously ranked #1, has only 1 loss in the championship game, they make a strong case for inclusion
- Meanwhile, the 1-loss Volunteers, having BEATEN Alabama and whose only loss would be to former #1 Georgia, would be the odd team out
You could also end up with another logjam if the above scenario plays out AND both Clemson and TCU finish unbeaten. Clemson would probably land at #3, while TCU and the Big 12 may find themselves on the outside looking in.
Of course, there are lots of games to be played between now and the committee's final rankings in December. Attempting to predict how a group of 19- and 20-year-olds will perform on any given Saturday is an easy way to lose all your money. But that's not to say we won't be watching, and speculating, the whole time.
