Week 13 is in the rearview in college football, and the College Football Playoff picture is clearer than ever. Just one weekend remains in the regular season with the top 10 all setting their eyes on the postseason.
Saturday was uneventful in terms of upsets, but there were still plenty of results that could cause some shakeup depending on how Week 14 goes. Oklahoma and Oregon both cemented their places in the top eight with impressive home wins over ranked teams while Utah, BYU, Miami and Vanderbilt all stayed within touching distance with big wins.
Who is looking good to make it into the 12-team bracket with just a week to go until conference championship week?
1. Ohio State (11-0)
Ohio State got off to a slow start on offense during Saturday's win over Rutgers, which was to be expected with both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate sidelined due to injury. However, the Buckeyes' defense continued to play stellar football and now Ohio State can turn its attention to The Game against Michigan on rivalry week. Win that one, and Ohio State will go to Indianapolis to play for the top seed and the conference title against Indiana.
2. Texas A&M (11-0)
Week 13 was a lot less stressful for Texas A&M, which dominated Samford on Saturday to get to 11-0 on the season. That victory was merely a formality before the Aggies get their final test of the regular season: a road date in Austin against Texas on Friday night. Mike Elko and company can still get into the conference title game in Atlanta with a loss, but it would severely hurt the Aggies' hopes of a first-round bye.
3. Indiana (11-0)
Indiana had the week off and will close its regular season against Purdue on Friday. Considering the Hoosiers are four-touchdown favorites in that one, Curt Cignetti and company shouldn't have too much to worry about. The focus will then turn to Indianapolis, where Ohio State will likely be waiting for a shot at the conference title and possibly the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP.
4. Georgia (10-1)
Georgia got a cupcake game in Week 13 after a win against Texas moved the Bulldogs up into bye position. Kirby Smart and company are not guaranteed a spot in Atlanta for the SEC Championship due to a head-to-head loss to Alabama, but some carnage around the conference could still get Georgia there in the end.
While the SEC slate is over for Georgia, all of its focus will be dialed in on a rivalry game against a Georgia Tech team that will be hungry coming off a loss on Friday.
5. Texas Tech (10-1)
Texas Tech had the week off in Week 13, so not much should change after the Red Raiders were bumped up into the top five after Week 12. Joey McGuire's group should have no problems closing out the season against West Virginia before heading to Arlington for the Big 12 title game. Will a conference championship be enough to get into the top four?
6. Ole Miss (10-1)
Ole Miss is having one of its best seasons in school history and its national title hopes are very much alive, but none of the noise around the Rebels has anything to do with football. The Lane Kiffin saga has consumed Ole Miss, and college football as a whole, as everyone awaits his decision.
In the meantime, I'm sure Mississippi State would love nothing more than to take down Ole Miss and send Kiffin out on a sour note. Even with all the noise, Ole Miss better make sure it takes care of business on Friday. Then, Kiffin's final decision on Saturday could be impactful for the Rebels' CFP placement.
7. Oregon (10-1)
Oregon was the most impressive team in Week 13, taking down No. 15 USC 42-27 in what was a de facto playoff game in the Big Ten. However, the Ducks have no time to rest even as some other teams see their schedules lighten up at this point in the season. Dan Lanning and company will head to Seattle for the regular season finale for a road game against a Washington team that could very well be ranked coming into the game.
Win that one, and the Ducks will be hosting a CFP game at Autzen Stadium. Lose, and their shaky profile of wins may not get it into the field at all.
8. Oklahoma (9-2)
The committee surprised some by slotting Oklahoma in for a home playoff game after its big upset over Alabama, and the Sooners did nothing to refute that in a 17-6 win over No. 22 Missouri on Saturday. The offense is still a bit hit or miss, but the defense under Brent Venables is thriving and should be getting R Mason Thomas back up front in the near future.
A reeling LSU squad comes to Norman for the season finale. Win that one, and Venables and company will be safely into the CFP.
9. Notre Dame (9-2)
Notre Dame seems to be stuck at a ceiling in the rankings after getting leapfrogged by Oklahoma. However, the Irish are taking care of business and did so once again on Saturday in a 70-7 win over Syracuse. A win over Stanford in Week 14 would seemingly get the Irish into the field, but beware of a head-to-head loss of Miami that still looms if the Hurricanes can close the gap in the rankings.
10. Alabama (9-2)
Alabama falling all the way to No. 10 was a bit surprising after losing to Oklahoma, but that's where it finds itself with a week to play. The Tide's deep profile of quality wins should matter in the end, but there isn't a lot of margin for error heading into an Iron Bowl with an Auburn team trying to become bowl eligible. An SEC Championship is still on the table for Alabama with a win on Saturday.
11. SMU (8-3)
The ACC roulette wheel has now landed on SMU with just one week to go in the regular season. Pitt's win over Georgia Tech on Saturday night took the Yellow Jackets out of contention for the conference title and likely the College Football Playoff. Now, SMU (at California) and Virginia (vs. Virginia Tech) both can get into the conference championship game with wins in Week 14. For now, We favor the Mustangs to do that and get the win this time to get into the CFP for the second-straight season.
12. Tulane (9-2)
After South Florida's loss in Week 12, it was Tulane who came in as the highest-ranked Group of Five team instead of James Madison. All signs still point to the Green Wave securing the final spot in the 12-team field after a dominant win over Temple. All that stands between Tulane and a trip to the American Championship Game is a win over 1-10 Charlotte, and then Jon Sumrall and company will fight for their playoff lives.
Next Out: BYU, Miami (FL), Utah, Vanderbilt
Quarterfinal Predictions
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Notre Dame
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Texas A&M vs. No. 7 Oregon
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
Orange Bowl: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
Semifinal Predictions
Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
Peach Bowl: No. 2 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
National Championship Prediction
No. 1 Ohio State over No. 2 Texas A&M
