College Football Playoff Bubble Watch: Breaking down every conference

Only 3 weeks into the season, Notre Dame and Clemson person dropped retired of the playoff representation with 2 losses each. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, Notre Dame (0-2) present has a 6% accidental of reaching the College Football Playoff. Clemson (1-2) has a 4% chance.

That makes country for idiosyncratic else.

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 3 groups. Teams with "Would beryllium in" 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. A squad with "Work to do" is passing the oculus trial (for the astir part) and has a accidental astatine winning its conference, which would mean a guaranteed spot successful the playoff. And a squad that "Would beryllium out" is playing successful the shadows of the playoff -- for now.

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 volition 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

SEC

Spotlight: Texas. In the latest apical 12 projection, the No. 12 Longhorns would beryllium retired of the playoff to marque country for projected American champion South Florida. Let that descend successful for a minute: The astir hyped squad successful America this preseason is present projected to ticker the playoff from home. ESPN Analytics gives Texas the fourth-best accidental to scope the SEC title crippled (26%) down Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama. The Longhorns' season-opening roadworthy nonaccomplishment to Ohio State isn't the occupation -- it's the merchandise connected the field. Quarterback Arch Manning has a QBR of 49.6, No. 88 successful the country. He completed 44% of his passes against UTEP connected Saturday and threw an interception successful the extremity zone. It's not conscionable Manning. Penalties. Third-down conversions. Red portion ratio (or deficiency thereof). ESPN's FPI projects Texas volition triumph each of its remaining games but the Nov. 15 travel to Georgia. If that comes to fruition, and Texas finishes arsenic a two-loss SEC squad without a league title, the Longhorns volition apt beryllium successful the enactment committee's apical 12. Whether they are seeded successful the playoff, though, depends connected if they tin amended capable to beryllium ranked successful the apical 10, wherever there's nary information of getting knocked retired successful favour of the fourth- and fifth-highest-ranked league champions that mightiness beryllium ranked extracurricular of the apical 12.

The enigma: Ole Miss. The Rebels person won back-to-back SEC games against Kentucky and Arkansas, and present person the second-best accidental to scope the league title crippled down Georgia, according to ESPN Analytics. They besides person the fourth-best accidental (60.1%) to scope the playoff down Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon, but they're astir to get into the bosom of their astir hard stretch. Ole Miss mightiness person a sneaky tricky crippled connected Saturday erstwhile it hosts Tulane, which is competing for a playoff spot and would get a immense résumé boost from beating the Rebels connected the road. If the Rebels win, they'd person a captious head-to-head triumph against what could beryllium the American champs, which would support them up of the Green Wave connected Selection Day. There's nary interruption aft that earlier hosting LSU connected Sept. 27. ESPN's FPI projects Ole Miss volition triumph each of its remaining games, though, but for the Oct. 18 travel to Georgia. If that unfolds, and the Rebels hav...