One of the great things about the 12-team College Football Playoff is the expansion of teams that can legitimately say they are in the hunt deep into the season. That was the case last year and it certainly is again in a season that is trending toward being one of the most chaotic the sport has had.
As the selection committee prepares to meet on Tuesday in Dallas for the third time to rank teams, I looked at the entire field to see which teams are removing themselves from CFP contention after taking losses—or simply not playing well.
Enter The Eliminator, where we’re cutting teams and seeing which ones still have (an often mathematical) chance to play for the national title. New this week: We’re locking in teams to the playoff field as well. Here’s where things stand after Week 12.
College Football Playoff field after Week 12Playoff Locks
Five teams, 42% of the bracket
Ohio StateIndianaTexas A&MGeorgiaMississippi
Alive for a playoff bid
26 teams, 19% of FBS
ACC (5)Big 12 (4)Big Ten (5)SEC (6)Independent (1)American (4)Sun Belt (1)Teams eliminated after SaturdayDukeLouisvilleTexasSouth FloridaOut of the playoff chase
110 teams, 81% of FBS
ACC (12)Big 12 (12)Big Ten (13)SEC (10)Independent (1)American (10)CUSA (12)MAC (13)Mountain West (12)Pac-12 (2)Sun Belt (13)
