College Football Playoff picture after Week 9: Does Deion Sanders' Colorado have any CFP chances left after Week 9 setback?
The College Football Playoff selection committee will release their first official rankings on Tuesday. While the AP Poll has five undefeated teams holding firm atop the rankings, there have been questions as to whether or not there will be a shake-up in the official postseason rankings. Take a look at the postseason picture below.
Could Deion Sanders lead the Colorado Buffaloes to the College Football Playoff?
While there is no official rule marking teams with more than one loss ineligible for the postseason, the Colorado Buffaloes' hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff have been over for quite some time. Colorado is just 4-4 following their 28-16 Week 9 loss to the No. 20-ranked UCLA Bruins.
Despite this, Deion Sanders has turned the program around in his first season as an FCS coach. The Buffaloes will likely field an even better team next season and could reach the postseason as the field expands from four to 12 teams.
Which teams are in contention for the College Football Playoff?
Of the 25 teams ranked in the AP Poll, there are just 13 teams who play in a Power Five conference and remain undefeated or with just one loss. Under the current format, there has never been a two-loss team to reach the College Football Playoff in the last nine seasons.
While the No.17-ranked Air Force Falcons and unranked Liberty Flames remain undefeated, the postseason committee has not shown much love to Group of Five programs in the past. With so many Power Five teams still undefeated or with one loss, it is difficult to see either team sneaking into the postseason.
The top five teams in the AP Poll are the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Florida State Seminoles and Washington Huskies. Each team is 8-0 and they will likely all appear in the top five of the initial College Football Playoff rankings. The order they appear, however, is unclear.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes will still meet later this season, which means that one team will have a loss on their record. If any of the other three teams falter, the Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State Nittany Lions, Oklahoma Sooners, Missouri Tigers, and Louisville Cardinals will be able to enter the playoff picture.
Each of the listed teams has only one loss and competes in a Power Five conference. While some will face each other or one of the five undefeated teams, each of those programs has a chance to make the postseason.