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Oregon's triumph astatine Penn State catapulted the Ducks into the apical 3 this week, but they weren't the lone movers connected a connection Saturday wherever winning connected the roadworthy provided an other boost.
Welcome back, Alabama.
There's a impermanent ceiling, though, for immoderate of these contenders, arsenic the enactment committee's head-to-head tiebreaker is factoring into the ranking. It's 1 of respective tiebreakers they usage erstwhile comparing teams, and arsenic agelong arsenic the teams person akin records, the radical has historically leaned connected the head-to-head result. That's helping Florida State tremendously close now.
The 13-member College Football Playoff enactment committee doesn't merchandise its archetypal ranking until Nov. 4, but based connected what each squad has done to-date, the ones with connection wins and/or aggregate wins against respectable teams person the aboriginal edge.
The database beneath is fluid -- and volition proceed to beryllium arsenic teams participate the bosom of league play. Here's the latest prediction of what the enactment committee's apical 12 would look similar if it were released today.
Projecting the apical 12
1. Miami Hurricanes (4-0)
Why they could beryllium here: The Canes had a bye week to hole for their travel to Florida State, but entered this week ranked No. 4 successful ESPN's Strength of Record metric -- a statistic that has historically aligned with the enactment committee's apical 4 teams. With Notre Dame's resounding triumph astatine Arkansas, the Canes' season-opening triumph against the Irish continues to shine. Miami's wins against South Florida and Florida -- some of which had bye weeks -- continues to collectively assistance abstracted the Canes.
Why they could beryllium lower: The Canes person won each 4 games astatine location -- astatine a constituent successful the play erstwhile different contenders person had to triumph pugnacious games connected the road. Both Ohio State and Oregon person present won pugnacious league roadworthy games.
Need to know: Saturday's crippled against FSU could beryllium Miami's past crippled during the regular play against a ranked opponent. Right now, Miami is connected way for a apical 4 seed, which means a first-round bye. If the Canes suffer to FSU -- and/or if they decorativeness arsenic the ACC runner-up -- this could interaction their seeding due to the fact that truthful galore SEC teams person loaded schedules successful the backmost fractional of the season.
Toughest remaining game: Saturday astatine Florida State. ESPN's FPI gave the Canes a 63.6% accidental to win. The Canes are projected to triumph each of their remaining games and person the champion accidental successful the league (67.9%) to scope the ACC rubric game.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0)
Why they could beryllium here: It wasn't an casual travel to the West Coast, wherever the Buckeyes held a precarious 7-3 halftime pb against Washington, but they recovered a way. This was Ohio State's archetypal roadworthy game, and it took until the 2nd fractional to find an violative groove, but this was a respectable Big Ten triumph to complement the season-opener against Texas.
Why they could beryllium lower: Oregon's triumph astatine Penn State presently looks amended than Ohio State's location triumph against the Longhorns. The committee could worth that 1 triumph much than Ohio State's 2 against Texas and Washington.
Need to know: Two of Ohio State's adjacent 3 games are connected the roadworthy -- Oct. 11 astatine Illinois and Oct. 18 astatine Wisconsin. The Illini rebounded from their embarrassing nonaccomplishment to Indiana with a adjacent triumph against USC connected Saturday. That should support them successful the apical 25 and springiness the Buckeyes different accidental against a ranked opponent, which they mightiness request if Texas struggles successful the SEC and the Buckeyes don't triumph the Big Ten.
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 against Penn State.
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