Three upsets in the SEC on Saturday should significantly help Miami in their quest to earn a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The easiest path for Miami to make the CFP is to win Saturday at Syracuse and defeat SMU in the ACC Championship Game on December 7.
Miami will clinch an ACC Championship Game berth with a win over Syracuse. SMU clinched its spot in the ACC Championship game after winning 33-7 at Virginia on Saturday. SMU finishes the regular season on Saturday versus California. If Miami beats Syracuse, the ACC champion is likely locked into the third seed in the CFP.
The ESPN Football Power Index gives Miami a 47.9 percent chance to win the ACC and a 79.6 percent projection to make the College Football Playoff. Miami and SMU have benefitted significantly with Alabama, Mississippi and Texas A&M losing on Saturday. SMU has a 42.5 percent chance to win the ACC and 62.5 percent to make the CFP.
Oregon, Texas, SMU, Boise State, Ohio State and Penn State remain first through sixth in the CFP predictions after the results of week 13. SMU is ahead of Miami in the standings and poised to win the ACC regular season title. Boise State is fourth because they are ahead of the Big XII leaders in the national rankings.
Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Oregon | 11-0 |
2 | Texas | 10-1 |
3 | SMU | 10-1 |
4 | Boise State | 10-1 |
5 | Ohio State | 10-1 |
6 | Penn State | 10-1 |
7 | Notre Dame | 10-1 |
8 | Georgia | 9-2 |
9 | Miami | 10-1 |
10 | Tennessee | 9-2 |
11 | Indiana | 10-1 |
12 | Arizona State | 9-2 |
The Big XII has four teams tied entering the final weekend. Arizona State and Iowa State are the only Big XII teams who would qualify for the conference championship games with wins this weekend. Arizona State is at Arizona and Kansas State is at Iowa State on Saturday,
The Big XII is not guaranteed a spot in the CFP. If another conference champion (likely Army or Tulane in the American Athletic Conference) passes the Big XII Champion in the CFP rankings, the conference would not have a team earn a berth. Arizona State is 14/15 in the National Rankings and Tulane is 19th.
Boise State, whose only loss was at Oregon, projects to be the fourth seed in the CFP behind the Big XII champion entering week 14. That could change if Boise State suffers another loss. The remainder of the predictions as posted above are Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, Indiana and Arizona State.
Miami is higher in the College Football Playoff rankings, but we are using the ACC Standings to place them higher. If Miami wins at Syracuse, the winner of the ACC Championship Game would be the third seed in the CFP. The CFP will be announced on Sunday, December 8 after conference championship Saturday the day before.
Oregon, Texas, SMU, Boise State, Ohio State and Penn State remained the top six in the CFP predictions after week 12. SMU leads the ACC with a 7-0 record and Boise State is the fourth-highest-ranked conference leader. Chaos ensued beyond Penn State being ranked sixth.