Colorado has inserted itself into the College Football Playoff picture entering its Week 12 game against Utah. Deion Sanders and the No. 17 Buffaloes are three wins away from clinching a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game and one game back of unbeaten BYU in the conference standings.
And what happened to the SEC’s elite being protected in playoff expansion? Despite leading the country in strength of schedule, Georgia dropped nine spots to No. 12 in the selection committee’s second top 25 rankings following its loss at Ole Miss. That means the Bulldogs garner the unwanted “first team out” moniker since the Group of Five frontrunner — No. 13 Boise State — would receive an auto-bid for winning its conference.
Saturday’s game against Tennessee is paramount to Georgia’s playoff chances after the selection committee made it clear that paths for a potential three-loss SEC team are dwindling.
MORE: Texas overrated in updated playoff rankings
For the eight teams on the playoff bubble, building strength of schedule and stacking quality wins over the final weeks of the season are top priority.
Odds for each bubble team to make the College Football Playoff via FanDuel Sportsbook. Check out the latest FanDuel promo code to get in the game.
College Football Playoff Bubble Watch: Week 12
Georgia (-500): The Bulldogs remain a heavy favorite to reach the playoff with games against No. 7 Tennessee, UMass and Georgia Tech remaining. The selection committee views the Yellow Jackets as a quality opponent following their win over Miami, so that’s two more bites at the apple down the stretch for Kirby Smart’s team.
Colorado (+125): Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State are the three teams standing between the Buffaloes and a Big 12 title appearance. BYU got a minimal boost this week following the narrow win over the Utes; the Big 12 appears to be a one-bid league.
SMU (+140): If the Mustangs win the ACC, they’re in, so there’s no need to panic right now at their current No. 14 spot in the rankings. They haven’t lost since Week 3 against BYU.
Texas A&M (+300): The Aggies are one of the three SEC teams in control of its destiny in Week 12 — along with Texas and Tennessee. At No. 15, Texas A&M is in a great position to make the playoff if it can get to Atlanta with three more victories. The showdown against Texas at Kyle Field during rivalry weekend looms large.
Clemson (+350): Slotted at No. 20 this week after beating Virginia Tech on the road, the Tigers must win the ACC championship to reach the playoff. And that’s going to require winning out and a Miami loss since the Hurricanes hold the common opponent tiebreaker after beating Louisville.
Kansas State (+700): The Wildcats aren’t mathematically eliminated from Big 12 contention yet, but they have to win out and get help.
Army (+700): The Black Knights know their only path to a spot in the 12-team playoff is to win out, which would include a program-altering victory over Notre Dame later this month. If that happens, there’s a strong possibility the Group of Five puts two teams in the final bracket.
Tulane (+700): Unbeaten in the AAC, Tulane clinches a berth in the league title game against Army with a win this weekend. Jon Sumrall’s squad has suffered two losses, both to Power Four competition, and made their debut at No. 25 this week.
About the expanded CFP
The third College Football Playoff Rankings from the selection committee will be released on Nov. 19, then every Tuesday night through Dec. 3 leading up to Selection Sunday (Dec. 8). In the first season of the 12-team playoff format, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded 1-4 and receive first-round byes next month. Remaining teams, including the fifth conference champion, will be seeded 5-12 based on the selection committee’s opinion.
First-round games on campus start Dec. 20 with CFP quarterfinals at bowl sites beginning Dec. 31. The semifinals at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl will be played Jan. 9 and 10. The national championship is set for Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
