By Sam Lawler ‘19, Sports Editor

Note: Rankings and results are accurate as of November 24.

The College Football Playoff selection is approaching, and the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place. Rivalry Week, which had a slate of games such as Michigan vs. Ohio State, Alabama vs. Auburn, Oklahoma vs. West Virginia, and Washington vs. Washington State, made the playoff picture a little more clear.

Which teams are best positioned for the college football playoff? And how can those teams make it happen? Let’s take a look, and ask some NA students what they think.

Let’s start off with the four remaining undefeated squads in the nation: #1-ranked Alabama, #2 Clemson, #3 Notre Dame, and #7 University of Central Florida (UCF).

Alabama has looked like the best team in the country thus far, with studs on both sides of the ball such as Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and linebacker Dylan Moses. Alabama has many marquee victories; such as a 29-0 smackdown of LSU in Week 9, and their demolition of Auburn this past week. After beating in-state rival Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl, Alabama has just one more game left: the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship Game against #4 Georgia. Even with a loss, If they lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship, all hope is not lost. They still have a fighting chance if it’s a close, well-played game, and if some of the other teams looking to creep in lose as well. Alabama has been in the past three national championship games, and it seems like some are tired of the dynasty: “I hope Alabama doesn’t make the playoff,” said senior Kyra Cooperman.

#2 Clemson is another undefeated team who could survive even with a loss in their conference (ACC) championship game against #24 Pitt. That loss would not look good, but considering the season Clemson has had up to this point, the committee may forgive this one loss, especially if other teams in the mix lose as well.

#3 Notre Dame has some fantastic wins on the season, such as handing #8 Michigan their first loss of the season back in Week 1 and beating Syracuse, at the time the 12th-ranked team in the nation, 36-3 last week. Notre Dame is independent, so they won’t be playing in a conference championship game. There’s practically no way they can miss out on the playoff, barring a shocking turn of events involving a team slightly behind them in the rankings, and a questionable decision by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Ian Rzeszowski ’19, a Fighting Irish fan, says that “if Notre Dame does make the playoff, [quarterback] Ian Book will have to play better than he has all year.”

Despite also being undefeated, #7 UCF will not have as easy of a time getting into the playoff. UCF is in the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is not a Power 5 conference, so they are not considered to be an elite group of teams. Because of this, UCF has not played opponents of the same caliber as the other top-10 teams have. Senior Nate Perrello thinks “the teams UCF have played hasn’t prepared them for the better teams they might play in the Playoff.” This has greatly discredited their chances of sneaking into the playoff. However, this weekend improved their chances a little bit at least. Michigan and Washington State both lost, at the hands of Ohio State and Washington, respectively. Now, if Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State and LSU all lose, the committee will likely have no choice but to let UCF in. And even if Ohio State wins, UCF still may have a better chance: after Ohio State had a domestic violence cover-up scandal this offseason, the underdog UCF Golden Knights would be a far better story than the Ohio State Buckeyes.

One factor that could hurt UCF: their quarterback, McKenzie Milton, is done for the season after suffering a gruesome leg injury against South Florida. While the committee can’t take that information directly into their decision, it will make it harder to have a convincing win over Memphis in the AAC Championship Game.

Now, let’s take a look at the remaining top-10 teams who have a chance. Michigan is finished after suffering their second loss of the season in a blowout to rival Ohio State, 61-32. Washington State is also done after #16 Washington handed them their second loss of the season. That leaves #4 Georgia, #5 Oklahoma, and #6 Ohio State.

Right now, it seems #4 Georgia has the best chance to reach the playoff as the 4-seed. If they beat Alabama, the Bulldogs will be at least the #1 or #2 team in the playoff. If they lose, it’ll be a tougher decision for the committee. Alabama is a great team, so if it’s a close game, they still could make it over Ohio State and Oklahoma, even if the Buckeyes and Sooners win.

#5 Oklahoma beat #15 West Virginia 59-56 in thrilling fashion on Nov. 23. An exciting win over a rival is great for morale, but such a close game will likely not put them over Georgia in the eyes of the committee. They’ll need a very convincing win over #14 Texas, who handed them their lone loss back in Week 6; and will have to hope that Alabama, Clemson, or Georgia loses big.

#6 Ohio State is an interesting case. They’ll surely rise up the ranks after clobbering Michigan 61-32, but the lingering memory of a bad loss to a mediocre Purdue team, and a near loss to Maryland, will surely be in the minds of the committee, no matter what happens next weekend in the Big Ten Championship versus #21 Northwestern. Ohio State is heavily favored, but a victory is no foregone conclusion. If the Wildcats take down the Buckeyes, or even come close, there’s no shot they make the Playoff.

There are lots of factors still at play in the upcoming Championship Week, and based on the aforementioned games, the committee will have some tough decisions to make.