The bubble is tightening in the College Football Playoff race. Clemson, South Carolina and Arizona State were major winners from Tuesday's updated rankings as all three teams made noticeable moves thanks to upset losses from Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M last week.
For surging South Carolina, the Gamecocks head into Saturday's rivalry showdown at Clemson with an opportunity to potentially move ahead of Alabama and Ole Miss -- two teams they lost to head to head this season -- if they're able to secure a win. Clemson is slotted at No. 12 and could earn a berth in the ACC Championship Game against SMU provided Syracuse upsets Miami.
No. 16 Arizona State and No. 20 Texas A&M are the only bubble teams in control of their own destiny entering the final weekend of the regular season. If the Sun Devils win out and take the Big 12, that will be enough to keep No. 17 Tulane at bay and on the outside looking in. And if the Aggies pull a surprise by beating Texas and Georgia in consecutive weeks as betting underdogs, they're in too as the SEC champion. Others in this week's bubble watch need help.
Odds for 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 13
| | |
| Opportunity blown. All the Crimson Tide needed to do was win out to pick up -- at worst -- an at-large berth, but could not handle the pressure at Oklahoma last week. The 21-point loss stings, but judging by Alabama's current ranking, the Crimson Tide aren't out of the conversation just yet. The Tide must win the Iron Bowl to have a shot. This week: vs. Auburn | |
| | |
| Control the controllables. And right now, the Gamecocks can only beat Clemson on the road and then hope chaos unfold elsewhere. As the hottest three-loss team in college football, beating the Tigers on the road would be another quality win for Shane Beamer's squad and may leave a lasting impression on the committee. This week: at Clemson | |
| | |
| Lane Kiffin assumed his team's playoff dreams went down in flames at Florida, but ranked No. 14 this week, the Rebels aren't quite out of the conversation just yet. They'll need help since the best they can finish is 9-3 overall with a victory in the Egg Bowl, but the victory over Georgia will carry more water if the Bulldogs win out and take the SEC. This week: vs. Mississippi State | |
| | |
| One of the biggest risers in this week's rankings, Clemson has to like its chances to make the playoff if the Tigers handle South Carolina on Saturday and get a little bit of help during rivalry weekend. If Syracuse beats Miami, then Dabo Swinney's team will play for an ACC Championship next week against SMU. This week: vs. South Carolina | |
| | |
| If the season ended today, the Sun Devils are in as the fifth highest-ranked projected conference champion, but Arizona State and coach Kenny Dillingham have to finish the drill. Coming in No. 16 this week just ahead of AAC frontrunner Tulane is a key development. This week: at Arizona | |
| | |
| At 8-3, the Aggies must beat Texas on Saturday and then handle Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to warrant playoff billing. They dropped five spots to No. 20 after the upset loss at Auburn and now have to win consecutive games against top 10 competition. As least Mike Elko's team has the ball in their court and can play their way into the playoff. This week: vs. Texas | |
| | |
| The Green Wave pushed ahead five spots to No. 20 in this week's playoff rankings update, which means Jon Sumrall's squad is pulling for Army to stay unblemished until their showdown next month in the conference championship game. This week: vs. Memphis | |
| | |
| The Cyclones are behind Arizona State and Tulane in this week's rankings update, but the good news is Iowa State takes on nationally-ranked Kansas State this weekend and the Green Wave host unranked Memphis. A win over the Wildcats would likely be enough to push Iowa State ahead of Tulane next week as the Big 12 favorite to win the conference title, thus pushing a potential second Group of Five team out of the mix. This week: vs. Kansas State | |
About the expanded CFP
The penultimate College Football Playoff Rankings from the selection committee will be released on Dec. 3 with Selection Sunday coming five days later. 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.