There will be room for only four teams when the College Football Playoffs are announced the first week of December and there are three more times the committee will meet to decide the rankings. As of now it appears that at least two teams that should get in won’t and the fans and media will be clamoring to expand the system to allow for an eight-team structure rather than half of that.
This could be the year that argument has validity. If college basketball can expand their tournament from 64 to 68 certainly they could allow an extra week for football. There is a nearly a month gap in between the conference championships and the start of the first two semifinal games.
The deserving programs that don’t get in will certainly be clamoring for this set up and as it stands right now they would have a right to enraged.
Current Top Four
Alabama
The preseason No. 1 pick and current 10-11 favorite to win the NCAA Championship, the Crimson Tide was temporarily knocked out of the top position by Georgia, but came back after the Bulldogs lost to Auburn last weekend. They are also the team that could be upset, either with their final game at Auburn on in the conference championship game.
Miami
They are the true surprise of the quartet and were the best bet for gamblers looking for good odds. They opened at 30-1 and are now at 8-1.
They host Virginia and travel to Pitt, both winnable games, but then face Clemson in the ACC Championship game.
Oklahoma
They have been mentioned as a team that could win the national championship with their high-powered offense that is averaging 44.3 points per game. The loss to Iowa State ruined a possible undefeated season and their final regular season game against current 7-3 West Virginia could be a trap game. They are the second choice by sportsbooks to win the title at 4-1.
Clemson
The defending champion was helped in that their stunning upset to Syracuse was early enough in the season that it allowed them to recover and get back in the race. But two of their last three games could give them their second loss of the year. They end the regular season at South Carolina and then face Miami in the ACC Championship. They are 8-1 to win it all.
Two That Belong
Wisconsin
It is hard to believe that an undefeated team wouldn’t get a chance to compete for the National Championship, but the Badgers could easily be on the outside looking in after the regular season. There two remaining games are against easily winnable opponents and that has been the problem for them. The Big 10 is down this year and they get punished for a weak schedule. They are 10-1.
Auburn
This could be the best two-loss team in college football, but they will need to upset Alabama on November 25 for any chance at all to get into the playoff. Losing to LSU hurt their cause. They opened at 25-1 and are currently 10-1.