{"id":70160,"date":"2024-09-15T11:18:09","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T16:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/college-football-playoff-bubble-watch-after-week-3-who-is-in-and-who-is-out\/"},"modified":"2024-09-15T11:18:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T16:18:09","slug":"college-football-playoff-bubble-watch-after-week-3-who-is-in-and-who-is-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/college-football-playoff-bubble-watch-after-week-3-who-is-in-and-who-is-out\/","title":{"rendered":"College Football Playoff Bubble Watch after week 3: Who is in and who is out?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Predicting who is going to make the\u00a0College Football Playoff<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is so much harder than it was a year ago. It\u2019s even harder when all you have to go on is two weeks of games.<\/p>\n

But that isn\u2019t stopping us.<\/p>\n

Every week at the conclusion of the slate, I\u2019ll be channeling my inner college basketball writer and bringing you a Bubble Watch. This list, of course, is subject to change dramatically from week to week as gain more data.<\/p>\n

Here are the latest predictions.<\/p>\n

Last Four In\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Oregon: <\/strong>There was some concern something was off with Oregon<\/a><\/strong> after an underwhelming few weeks to open the season. It almost lost to Boise State last weekend. The Ducks, though, looked more like themselves in a blowout of Oregon State <\/a><\/strong>on Saturday. Ohio State<\/a><\/strong> still looks like the clear favorite to win the Big Ten this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Missouri: <\/strong>Though there are a lot of teams in the SEC that currently seem more dangerous than Missouri<\/a><\/strong>, the Tigers are really good and have one of the easier paths to the CFP. Missouri has back-to-back games against Oklahoma<\/a><\/strong> and Alabama<\/a><\/strong> in the middle of its schedule, but it could lose both of them and still make it into the field. Missouri, though, should have a chance to win both of those games. <\/p>\n

Ole Miss: Ole Miss<\/a><\/strong> has played three games and has scored more than 40 in each of them. The Rebels have yet to be tested, but they have a roster that stacks up anyone in college football. The SEC is going to be ultra-competitive this year, but quarterback Jaxson Dart<\/a><\/strong>, running back Henry Parrish<\/a><\/strong> and receiver Tre Harris<\/a><\/strong> are going to be really tough to stop for anyone. <\/p>\n

USC: <\/strong>The Trojans had an open week, but they were at home watching Michigan\u2019s offense sputter around and were licking their chops. USC<\/a><\/strong> couldn\u2019t stop anyone a year ago, but now its vastly improved defense gives them a real shot in Big Ten contention. A much-improved defense and an offense with an impressive collection of playmakers makes USC really dangerous. <\/p>\n

First Four Out <\/h2>\n

Penn State: <\/strong>You could make the case Penn State<\/a><\/strong> benefits more from the expansion of the CFP than any other program. The problem? It just so happens to coincide with the expansion of the Big Ten. Though Penn State could very well be the third-best team in the Big Ten this year, it\u2019s likely going to find itself right on the cusp of the field in December. If you want to swap Penn State for USC on this list, go ahead. The Trojans and Nittany Lions face off in Los Angeles on Oct. 12.<\/p>\n

Utah: <\/strong>It\u2019s hard to envision a world where two Big 12 teams crack the field this year, though it\u2019s certainly possible. Utah<\/a><\/strong> has been considered the favorite to win the conference since the beginning of the season, but Kansas State beat up on Arizona<\/a><\/strong> on Friday night and looks really dangerous. Quarterback Avery Johnson<\/a><\/strong> is really fun to watch and is only getting better. Because that game was scheduled before conference realignment, it didn\u2019t count in the Big 12 standings in this quirky sport. Everyone has a clean slate in the conference race. When Utah gets Cam Rising back, it certainly could reclaim its stake as the best team in the Big 12. <\/p>\n

Clemson: <\/strong>Just because Clemson<\/a><\/strong> got blown out by Georgia doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t going to be alive in the CFP race in November. Before being idle over the weekend, the Tigers bounced back from the embarrassing loss to the Bulldogs by hanging 66 on Appalachian State<\/a><\/strong>. This is still a team that\u2019s probably going to win 10 games and vying for one of the last four slots in the field. <\/p>\n

Notre Dame: <\/strong>If Notre Dame <\/a><\/strong>would have lost to Northern Illinois<\/a><\/strong> in the four-team field era, you could have written The Irish off and forgotten about them. But after suffering that embarrassing upset, Notre Dame returned to the field Saturday and hammered Purdue, 66-7. Notre Dame absolutely could run the table or suffer only one more loss this season, which puts it right in the 15 range in the rankings. Notre Dame is still worth tracking, especially if it beats Louisville in a few weeks. <\/p>\n

Next Four Out <\/h2>\n

Oklahoma: <\/strong>The Sooners found themselves on defense in a one-possession game in the fourth quarter of a narrow win over Tulane on Saturday. They have not gotten off to a fast start this year, but we are going to find out exactly who Oklahoma<\/a><\/strong> is Saturday when it hosts a powerful Tennessee team. It\u2019s going to be an incredibly interesting game, especially when it comes to seeing the Jackson Arnold<\/a><\/strong> vs. Nico Iamaleava<\/a><\/strong> matchup. <\/p>\n

Oklahoma State:<\/strong> The Big 12 race is completely up in the air and it\u2019s hard to count out a Cowboys team that has been nothing but consistent during the Mike Gundy era. The thrilling comeback win over Arkansas<\/a><\/strong> was a fun game a few weeks ago, but the next two on the schedule \u2014 Utah and Kansas State \u2014 will go a long way in shaping the Big 12 race and these projections. <\/p>\n

Nebraska: <\/strong>Maybe I\u2019m caught up in Dylan Raiola<\/a><\/strong> mania. Guilty as charged. But if you take a look at Nebraska\u2019s schedule, it\u2019s very reasonable to expect the Cornhuskers to be 7-0 heading into the Ohio State game. Even if Nebraska loses that game, there is a clear route to 10 wins, especially if Raiola keeps producing at a high level. <\/p>\n

Louisville: <\/strong>The ACC is kind of a mess this year. Miami currently looks like the clear favorite in the conference and Clemson is, well, Clemson. But the Cardinals have a real chance to turn some heads when they play Notre Dame in a few weeks. Louisville is out to a 2-0 start, but its schedule is actually pretty tough when you consider it has to play Miami, Boston College and Clemson all in a row. <\/p>\n

Group of 5 Watch\u00a0<\/h2>\n

UNLV: <\/strong>The Rebels had 86 passing yards and somehow came away with a 23-20 win over Kansas on Friday night. UNLV<\/a><\/strong> got some luck late in the game \u2014 like when quarterback Matthew Sluka fumbled it, the entire defense seemingly touched it and the Rebels recovered it for a nine-yard gain \u2014 but a win is a win. That is now UNLV\u2019s second win over a Big 12 opponent in its first three games and it still has Syracuse<\/a><\/strong>, Oregon State<\/a><\/strong> and Boise State<\/a><\/strong> on its schedule. They are in pole position for that No. 12 spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Memphis: <\/strong>Before the season, Memphis beating Florida State would have been a huge quality win in the race to be the highest-ranked Group of 5 team. While beating the Seminoles 20-12 is still a huge win for the Tigers, it doesn\u2019t hit quite as hard given Florida State is a dumpster fire. Still, Memphis remains unbeaten going into a conference game against Navy next weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boise State: <\/strong>The Broncos were off this week after suffering a heart-breaking, final-second loss to Oregon last weekend. Boise State, though, has one of the best players in the country in running back Ashton Jeanty and a schedule that still features a game against UNLV. There is a lot of opportunity for Boise State to work its way back into the G5 picture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Liberty:<\/strong> The Flames haven\u2019t been particularly dominant this year, but they are a team we have to keep our eye on in this race. Why? Because there\u2019s a real chance they could finish undefeated with a weak Conference USA schedule. Liberty does have a big game at Appalachian State in two weeks that could tell us quite a bit about its chances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Projected Bracket <\/h2>\n

No. 9\u00a0Missouri<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0at No. 8\u00a0Oregon<\/a><\/strong>
Winner faces No. 1\u00a0Ohio State<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in the Rose Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n

No. 12\u00a0UNLV<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0at No. 5\u00a0Georgia<\/a><\/strong>
Winner faces No. 4\u00a0Kansas State<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in the Fiesta Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n

No. 10\u00a0Ole Miss<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0at No. 7\u00a0Alabama<\/a><\/strong>
Winner faces No. 2\u00a0Texas<\/a><\/strong> in the Sugar Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n

No. 11\u00a0USC<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0at No. 6\u00a0Tennessee<\/a><\/strong>
Winner faces No. 3\u00a0Miami<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in the Peach Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post College Football Playoff Bubble Watch after week 3: Who is in and who is out?<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Predicting who is going to make the\u00a0College Football Playoff\u00a0is so much harder than it was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70160\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}