College Football Playoff: The Contenders & The Road Ahead

Mark BlankenbakerOctober 26, 2016

It’s the last weekend of October and as we move into November the College Football Playoff and the post-season will begin to take focus each week as we narrow the list of contenders. Right now there are Eleven (11) undefeated or one-loss teams in the Power 5 of College Football. Western Michigan & Boise State are both also undefeated….. but we’re talking about the PLAYOFFS.

Dave Lackford wrote a piece earlier in the week about CHAOS and Louisville’s place in the College Football Playoff that gives an apt description of HOW Louisville finds itself in the Final 4 at season’s end. But in order to do that it’s important for fans to understand what each team has left on its schedule and just how real this possibility is.

The committee meets next week and if the Cards handle Virginia on the road this week UofL will be in the conversation….and we’ll see what kind of work they have to do throughout November.

	Alabama 8-0		Michigan 7-0		Clemson 7-0
11/5	@ #19 LSU 5-2	10/29	@ Mich St 2-5	10/29	@ #12 Florida State 5-2
11/12	vs. Miss St 2-5	11/5	vs. Maryland 5-2	11/5	vs. Syracuse 4-4
11/19	vs. UT-Chattanooga	11/12	@ Iowa 5-3	11/12	vs. Pitt 5-2
11/26	vs. #15 Auburn 5-2	11/19	vs. Indiana 3-4	11/19	@ Wake Forest 5-2
	SEC Title Game ?	11/26	@ #6 Ohio St 6-1	11/26	vs South Carolina 3-4
			BIG Title Game ?		ACC Title Game?

	Washington 7-0		Ohio State 6-1		Nebraska 7-0
10/29	@ #17 Utah 7-1	10/29	vs. Northwestern 4-3	10/29	@ #11 Wisconsin 5-2
11/5	@ Cal 4-3	11/5	vs. #7 Nebraska 7-0	11/5	@ #6 Ohio State 6-1
11/12	vs USC 4-3	11/12	@ Maryland 5-2	11/12	vs. Minnesota 5-2
11/19	vs. Arizona St 5-3	11/19	@ Michigan St 2-5	11/19	vs. Maryland 5-2
11/25	@ Washington St 5-2	11/26	vs. #2 Michigan 7-0	11/25	@ Iowa 5-3
	PAC Title Game?		BIG Title Game?		BIG Title Game?

	Baylor 6-0		Texas A&M 6-1		West Virginia 6-0
10/29	@ Texas 3-4	10/29	New Mex St 2-5	10/29	@ OK State 5-2
11/5	vs. TCU 4-3	11/5	@ Miss St 2-5	11/5	vs. Kansas 1-6
11/12	@ #16 Oklahoma 5-2	11/12	vs. Ole Miss 3-4	11/12	@ Texas 3-4
11/19	vs. K-State 4-3	11/19	vs. Texas-San Antonio 3-4	11/19	vs. #16 Oklahoma 5-2
11/25	vs. Texas Tech 3-4	11/24	vs. #19 LSU 5-2	11/26	@ Iowa State 1-6
12/3	@ #10 WVU 6-0		SEC Title Game?	12/3	vs. #8 Baylor 6-0

	Florida 5-1		Utah 7-1
10/29	vs. Georgia 4-3	10/29	vs. #4 Washington
11/5	@ Arkansas 5-3	11/10	@ Arizona St
11/12	vs. South Carolina 3-4	11/19	vs. Oregon
11/19	@ #19 LSU 5-2	11//26	@ #23 Colorado
11/26	@ #12 Florida St 5-2		PAC Title Game?
	SEC Title Game?