Surprise! Buckeyes deserve playoff bid
The first College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released for three more weeks — on Tuesday, Oct. 31 — but the good news is that fans won’t have to wait that long to get a sneak peek at the first final four.
Thanks to spending a weekend last season taking part in a mock selection process with the playoff committee members, I can confidently and unequivocally say without any shadow of a doubt that these four teams might end up at the top in the first rankings. COMMENTARY happening with the Pac-12 playing so many late-night games. The team has a critical road game against Stanford on Nov. 10 and the Apple Cup against Washington State, which could decide the Pac-12 North and the Huskies’ chances of earning a playoff bid.
The Nittany Lions have started a season 6-0 for the first time since 2008 and are 15-1 during the past 16 games. The program has won 12 consecutive Big Ten games, but Penn State will be tested during the next couple of weeks with games against three ranked teams in Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State. If the Nittany Lions survive, the path to the playoff is almost certain.
Much like Ohio State, Auburn suffered an early loss — this one to No. 3 Clemson in the second game of the season. The Tigers have rebounded nicely by winning four consecutive games and are now ranked in the top 12. The rest of the schedule features challenges, including home contests against Georgia and Alabama.