College Football Playoffs: Biggest question for each contender

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The field of contenders for the College Football Playoff is getting smaller. Rivalry Weekend is upon us and Championship Weekend is on the horizon. Nine teams remain with a legitimate path to the playoffs, and each has at least one looming question.

Here is the biggest question for each playoff contender heading down the home stretch.

“I wouldn't call it a lock, but it's still a possibility. A lot would depend on the other circumstances surrounding this scenario. It is likely that Clemson and Notre Dame win out, meaning that if Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC championship game three of the four spots will be taken. That leaves Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma and possibly Washington State fighting for the final playoff berth.

“At that point, Alabama and Michigan are the two teams that probably have the best chance. Both teams would be 12-1 with a loss to a playoff team. On one hand, you'd have a defending champion in Alabama that had been No. 1 all season with blowout wins over all but one of its opponents. On the other, you'd have a conference champion in Michigan that hadn't lost in three months.

"If Alabama does end up losing to Georgia, it will be important that LSU remain in the top 10, giving the Crimson Tide a bigger win than anything on Michigan’s schedule.” – Tony Tsoukalas, BamaInsider.com

"I tend to doubt it. Auburn is respectable. Georgia is really good. South Carolina is mediocre. Pittsburgh is maybe a shade above mediocre. So I guess first we'd have to define what doesn't look good means. Does it mean squeak by Auburn by a point in Tuscaloosa and then barely beat Georgia?

"Look, if Alabama barely beats Auburn that would indeed be a shocking development. Given some of the struggles shown by the Tide over the last two weeks, maybe it would cause the committee to give some pause and – assuming Clemson blows its next two opponents completely out of the water – consider displacing the Tide.

"Just hard for me to see it. But maybe that's because it's hard for me to see Alabama looking that bad over the next two weeks." – Larry Williams, TigerIllustrated.com

“If this discussion is based on what has transpired, Notre Dame certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with Alabama and Clemson. This is especially true when it comes to the Tigers, who share three common opponents with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame and Clemson both blew out Wake Forest and Florida State, but the 33-point Irish victory over Syracuse was the most impressive of those six contests.

“Notre Dame is also the only team in the country with more than two wins against AP Top 25 teams, and the Irish have four of those wins. Its season-opening victory over Michigan remains the best of the season by any team in regards to highest-ranked opponent. Unlike the 2012 team, this Notre Dame squad ranks high on both sides of the ball, even though its defense is its driving force this season.

“Where Alabama and Clemson separate themselves from Notre Dame is recent history. While Notre Dame has been outside the upper echelon of programs, Clemson and Alabama have been the standard by which other elite programs will have to compare themselves to.”– Bryan Driskell, BlueandGold.com

"If Notre Dame wins out I just don’t know how you can put Michigan ahead of them. If U-M can beat Ohio State and ultimately win the Big Ten championship, its resume would certainly be as impressive or better than Notre Dame’s but head-to-head matchups on the field need to be worth something.

"There’s an argument to be made for Michigan to leap the Irish but I think it falls short. That loss was the first game of the year, in South Bend, and U-M was acclimating a new quarterback in Shea Patterson, but a loss is still a loss. If Notre Dame finishes the season undefeated I can’t justify U-M being ranked ahead of them." – Brandon Brown, TheWolverine.com

“Georgia has put itself in position to control its own destiny as far as the College Football Playoffs are concerned. If the Bulldogs beat Alabama for the SEC title, they’re in.

“What if they lose, but play the Tide close?

“While you maybe could make an argument, Georgia would likely need some help. Probably a lot of it. Sitting here today, Clemson would need to lose two games – against South Carolina this weekend and the ACC Championship in two weeks. That’s just the start.

“Notre Dame will sew up its spot by beating Southern Cal, and Georgia would need to root for Ohio State to beat Michigan, which would give the Wolverines two losses.

“Then there’s Oklahoma. The Sooners are behind Georgia, but would figure to jump ahead of Georgia if they go on to win the Big 12 crown. Georgia’s path to the playoffs is clear. But the Bulldogs are going to have to do it on their own.” – Anthony Dasher, UGASports.com

“The defense at Oklahoma isn't good. That's nothing new but I don't know that it's been this bad. It's not just the fans who are frustrated, former players are coming out in droves to demand better play from their program. Fans are booing at games. Meanwhile, the OU offense is a monster all on its own. It's the No. 1 offense in college football. And it's not just smoke and mirrors. The Sooners have one of the best offensive lines in the country. They are the No. 7 in rushing offense. They are No. 11 in passing offense. Even against great defenses, this offense is going to score points because they are physical and not just a typical dink-and-dunk spread formation team.

“The committee has been hung up on Oklahoma's defense for over two years. But last year, OU's offense gave us one of the most classic matchups in College Football Playoff history. This offense is just as capable, if not more capable. The defense isn't any good. But if the Sooners run the table over West Virginia and Texas the next two weeks, they don't deserve to be held out simply because of their defense. They deserve to be held out if they don't win the next two games. But if this team goes to Morgantown and beats WVU and then avenges their only loss of the season in the championship game, the committee shouldn't punish them for having a bad defense. They will have proven they belong should a spot open up in the top four.” – Carey Murdock, SoonerScoop.com

"First, Washington State has to take care of its own business by snapping its five-game losing streak to Washington in the Apple Cup on Friday and then beat Utah in the Pac-12 championship game. That would give WSU a record of 12-1 heading into bowl season. However, it's quite clear at this point that the Cougars will need plenty of help to sneak into the four-team playoff.

"WSU will definitely be cheering on conference brethren USC when the underdog Trojans face Notre Dame on Saturday night.

"In addition, Washington State needs Oklahoma to suffer a second loss, Northwestern to win the Big Ten championship game and Alabama to win the SEC championship game. If all these things occur, we'll have the chaos some national analysts have proclaimed Washington State needs to emerge as the ultimate survivor in the CFP race." – Scott Hood, WazzuWatch.com

“I'm not sure if UCF will be the sole impetus to spark change, but you can already see the discussion happening and I think that's in large part to UCF's plight and the public campaign by AD Danny White. An eight-team field can be a lot more inclusive, not to mention a lot more interesting. I strongly disagree with the notion that an expanded playoff devalues the regular season. In fact, I think just the opposite.

"Considering Power Five commissioners really hold the cards here, I think the real spur for change could be if Notre Dame takes one of the four spots this season and perhaps the SEC taking two other spots (say if Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC championship game). That would leave three Power Five conferences without a representative. The uproar would become even louder, not just from UCF but from leagues that actually have the power to make a change.” – Brandon Helwig, UCFSports.com

MORE UCF: UCFSports.com

“For weeks I have maintained that a one-loss Ohio State team would make the playoffs as the Big Ten champion, defeating Michigan and Northwestern along the way. That was always with the belief that Ohio State would continue to build as the season went on, winning its winnable games by comfortable margins and not making the same mistakes over and over again. That part has not happened and I am not quite as sure where Ohio State stands at this point.

“Of course there are two legitimate hurdles left, and if Ohio State cannot clear the first one, beating Michigan on Saturday, the second one does not even come into play. But for the sake of being academic, let’s say Ohio State does get past both teams, in a very Ohio State-like fashion for this year, close and not all that attractive. That could pose problems if chalk happens across the board and Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame all win out. Because all three of them would be in. Ohio State would then be in a contested election against Oklahoma as the Big 12 champion and I am just not sure if Ohio State can back into the CFP with two ugly wins.

"Now, if Ohio State goes the 2014 route and puts up a 59-0 win along the way, against either team – and let’s be honest, that won’t happen against Michigan – then that might leave an impression on a CFP committee that has been less than impressed with the Buckeyes to date.

“In short, if the Buckeyes do win both of their last games, it would help the cause if someone lost along the way to clear the deck a little bit for the Buckeyes, or the Buckeyes need to come out and win both games in dominating fashion, something that we have not seen much of in 2018.” – Kevin Noon, BuckeyeGrove.com