After Week 8 of the season, what’s the Path to the College Football Playoff for the 17 teams still alive for the four spots?
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– Week 8 Scoreboard & Predictions
Who’s Out After Week 8?
Cincinnati, Colorado, Oregon
So who’s really still alive for the College Football Playoff?
A slew of heavy-hitters are done now, and knock out any Group of Five program with a loss.
As is, an unbeaten GOFer almost has no chance, and at the moment, there aren’t any unbeaten teams in Conference USA, the MAC, Mountain West or Sun Belt.
All the teams on this list are still in the mix, and here’s what has to happen.
Group of Five: American Athletic Conference
UCF (7-0)
The Path to the College Football Playoff: The Knights have to be even more amazing. Going 7-0 is cute and all, but they haven’t played anyone, and it’s not like they have Alabama and Georgia coming up to prove themselves. They have to be SO good that they can’t be ignored, and they need total chaos among the Power Five leagues – like, at least three of the five with a two-loss champion. Even then …
What Will Happen: No. If the Knights run the table, their best win won’t be anywhere near as strong as the four best wins of any of the Power Five programs in the mix for the CFP. They might be able to knock on the door, but they won’t get in. Memphis – who pushed UCF in a 31-30 loss – getting destroyed by Missouri didn’t help.
USF (7-0)
The Path to the College Football Playoff: Everything just said about UCF, but more so. The Bulls have to start annihilating teams down the stretch, and it should be a big plus if it destroys Cincinnati on the road and takes out an unbeaten UCF in the regular season finale. And, like UCF, there have to be a whole slew of wacky things happening in the Power Five races.
What Will Happen: USF 38, UConn 30. USF 25, Tulsa 24. USF isn’t beating Houston, Cincinnati and Temple on the road, and that’s before getting UCF.
