With college football’s conference championship games taking place this Saturday why wait until Sunday morning to project the College Football Playoff?
We can do it now as the games continue to play out.
Let’s start with the teams who aren’t in but remain alive and then seed the likely playoff teams based off what it appears their results are Saturday:
Baylor: Still alive but out
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Baylor: 11-2, Big 12 Champions
Baylor has completed their season by winning the Big 12 over Oklahoma State. As of now the Bears are still technically alive but they’ll need a lot to change ahead of them to keep their remote hopes alive.
Notre Dame: Still alive but out
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Notre Dame: 11-1 final record
Notre Dame received a huge favor from Baylor in the first set of games Saturday but as things sit in the SEC Championship the Irish are getting no help from Georgia. An Alabama win essentially guarantees both the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will both be in the CFP which leaves Notre Dame looking for help elsewhere.
4. Cincinnati
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4. Cincinnati (12-0, winning big vs. Houston)
Cincinnati has started to roll in the second half against Houston. Assuming the Bearcats finish the deal they’ll be the first Group of Five team to make the College Football Playoff and will do so as the four seed.
3. Georgia
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3. Georgia (11-0 but trailing Alabama 31-17)
Georgia appears headed to losing their first game of the 2021 season. The loss will cost them a perfect record and the top seed but won’t knock them from the College Football Playoff.
2. Michigan
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2. Michigan (11-1, kickoff vs. Iowa at 8 p.m. ET)
As thing sit in the second half of the afternoon games it would appear Michigan would remain ranked second assuming they take care of business in the Big Ten Championship against Iowa.
1. Alabama
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- Alabama (11-1, lead Georgia 31-17 in 3rd quarter)
Assuming their lead holds against Georgia we’ll see the Tide jump Michigan and enter the College Football Playoff ranked first. They’ll have had the most impressive showing in the conference championship games and the committee will not want to have Alabama and Georgia play against each other in the semifinals.
