My (highly unqualified) playoff predictions are meant to show how much football is left to be played. It is also meant to show the good chance Ohio State has at getting in if they play well, and how I believe it is a very low possibility that 2 SEC teams will get in the playoff, which would be unsavory.
Spots:
SEC (Likely Miss St.)
PAC 12 (Likely Oregon)
ACC (FSU)
B1G (MSU or OSU)
ACC:
It’s Florida State or no one, and their toughest game is Louisville and then probably Duke.
Big 12:
Big 12 eats itself by virtue of having no conference champ, or maybe even by having all 2 loss teams (KSU beats TCU, OU beats Baylor, Baylor beats KSU). Having no conference champ will seriously damage their chances.
B1G:
The winner of Michigan State and Ohio State will likely win out, and I think would win the conference championship game. Michigan State already beat Nebraska soundly (until that weird comeback), and if Ohio State pulls off the upset, then I would concede they’re for real and predict them to beat Nebraska too. If Nebraska wins out and wins the conference championship game, I think they would enter the playoff if the other conferences eat themselves. MSU or OSU would not need as much help.
Pac 12:
Only one of Arizona, Arizona State and Utah can advance to play Oregon in the conference championship, and the winner of that game will go if they have 1 loss. Oregon could conceivably lose to 1 of Stanford or Utah, then beat the South champion in the conference championship and the Pac 12 would have a 2 loss champion, leaving them teetering on the edge. The same situation could arise if ASU loses to Notre Dame, but wins every other game, including the conference championship.
SEC:
The SEC will likely keep itself from getting in 2 teams.
Alabama could have 2 or 3 more losses (@LSU, MSU, Aub).
Auburn could 2 or 3 more losses (@Ole Miss, @Alabama, @Georgia).
Ole Miss could have 1 or 2 more losses (Auburn, MSU).
MSU could even have 1 or 2 losses (Alabama, Ole Miss).
Scenario 1:
Alabama loses @LSU.
Auburn loses @Bama.
Ole Miss loses to Auburn.
MSU is undefeated, beats Georgia in championship game, everyone else has at least 2 losses.
Scenario 2:
Alabama loses @LSU and to Auburn.
Auburn loses to Ole Miss and Georgia.
Ole Miss loses to MSU.
MSU loses to Alabama and then to Georgia in championship game, everyone, including Georgia, has 2 losses. This would be pretty fun.
I think there will be 1 and only 1 SEC team in the playoff. I would guess MSU at this time, because they have no losses.
I think Oregon will go the rest of the season unscathed and enter the playoff.
I think Florida State will do the same, they have a pretty easy schedule.
And I think one of Michigan State or Ohio State will run the table. If pressed, I would say Michigan State, and I’m not expecting a win on Nov 8 for the Buckeyes, but I am hoping and would loved to be proven wrong.
I think freaking out over whether there will be a spot for OSU or if there will be 2 SEC teams is a little premature. OSU has to prove itself, and all of the SEC teams play each other.
The rest of the season should be fun if we let it be. It’s fun to watch the B1G. It’s fun to watch the Pac 12. It’s fun to watch the SEC. It’s fun to watch the Big 12. College football is fun.
