CFP Bubble Watch: Who's in, who's out, who has work to do after Week 8

Last year, successful the inaugural play of the 12-team College Football Playoff, 8 of the teams that qualified had 2 losses.

Five of the 7 at-large teams had 2 losses, and 3 of the 5 league champions had astatine slightest 2 losses. Keep that successful caput arsenic much contenders autumn each week and the playoff representation changes -- this strategy is much forgiving.

Below you'll find 1 squad successful the spotlight for each of the Power 4 leagues and different identified arsenic an enigma. We've besides tiered schools into 5 groups. Teams with Would be successful presumption are featured successful this week's apical 12 projection, a snapshot of what the enactment committee's ranking would look similar if it were released today. Teams listed arsenic On the cusp are the existent bubble teams and the archetypal ones extracurricular the bracket. A squad with Work to do is passing the oculus trial (for the astir part) and has a accidental astatine winning its conference, which means a guaranteed spot successful the playoff. A squad that Would beryllium out is playing successful the shadows of the playoff -- for now. And a squad that is Out volition person to hold until adjacent year.

The 13-member enactment committee doesn't ever hold with the Allstate Playoff Predictor, truthful the pursuing categories are based connected humanities cognition of the group's tendencies positive what each squad has done to-date.

Reminder: This will alteration week-to-week arsenic each squad builds -- oregon busts -- its résumé.

Jump to a conference:
ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten
SEC | Independent | Group of 5
Bracket

SEC

Spotlight: Vanderbilt. The Commodores astir apt person much enactment to bash successful the enactment committee gathering country than with the AP Poll voters. As bully arsenic the triumph against LSU was, it was Vandy's archetypal triumph against a Power 4 hostile with a winning record. Both Virginia Tech and South Carolina are sub-.500 teams close now, and wins against FCS Charleston Southern, a 1-6 Sun Belt squad successful Georgia State and a three-loss Utah State squad aren't capable to marque the CFP. Vandy has capable opportunities, though, to alteration that, starting Saturday. If Vandy beats Mizzou, its chances of reaching the CFP volition ascent to 49%. A loss, though, would driblet that to 14%. Vanderbilt's toughest remaining games are against Missouri, astatine Texas and astatine Tennessee successful the regular-season finale. If the Commodores suffer 1 much crippled and decorativeness 10-2, they've inactive got a chance, but however that résumé stacks up with different 10-2 teams leaves the doorway unfastened for debate.

Enigma: Missouri. The Tigers are successful a akin spot to Vanderbilt, with a nonaccomplishment to Alabama and adjacent little to compensate for it. Missouri's champion triumph mightiness person been Saturday's treble overtime triumph astatine present four-loss Auburn. It besides has an FCS triumph against 2-4 Central Arkansas, a triumph against a 2-5 Sun Belt squad successful Louisiana and a triumph against a 0-7 MAC team, Massachusetts. Both Kansas and South Carolina are unranked and sub-.500. A triumph astatine Vanderbilt connected Saturday would springiness Missouri its archetypal ranked triumph AND its archetypal triumph against ANY hostile with a winning record. A nonaccomplishment would enactment the Tigers successful a must-win concern successful November, needing to bushed Texas A&M and triumph astatine Oklahoma connected Nov. 22. Missouri has recovered ways to triumph against lesser competition, but it needs the 2nd fractional of the play to amusement the c...