The race for the College Football Playoff (CFP) is heating up with two weeks remaining in the season. The top four teams—Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame—remain intact, but movement is occurring just behind the Fighting Irish, as Oklahoma State, Iowa and the Oklahoma Sooners are making a late surge up the rankings.
By winning out, the top three teams in Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State are more than likely to guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs, but for Notre Dame (9-1), things will be more difficult, as they end their season playing against the Stanford Cardinal after a game against Boston College. The Fighting Irish have the 27th-hardest schedule but have one loss on their resume.
The Cowboys from Oklahoma State (10-0) have moved up to seventh in the latest rankings, and Oklahoma State has the advantage of being unbeaten over Notre Dame and has the opportunity to pad its resume with home games against Baylor and Oklahoma in the next two weeks.
If the Fighting Irish and the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) both win out, finishing the season 11-1, chances are the final spot in the playoff will go to one of them.
If this happens, the Sooners would end the season with three major victories over the likes of Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. Notre Dame's best wins would likely be USC, Stanford and Navy.
The Irish's lone loss was by two at Clemson and the Sooners' loss was by seven to Texas in Dallas. Notre Dame beat Texas 38-3, and the committee considers games against common opponents in its selections protocol, which could come back to bite the Sooners if the committee is choosing between Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
On the flip side, if Notre Dame loses to Stanford, Iowa falls and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State go into the final weekend of the season after winning their games this weekend, that game should decide who is worthy of the fourth and final spot in the CFP.
The Sooners have the hardest schedule in the final two weeks. They take on TCU and Oklahoma State. That's both good and bad for the Sooners, because if they are able to win both games, they will likely solidify their spot in the playoff. However, losing either of these games will give the Sooners their second loss of the season, which guarantees that they won't be in contention for the national championship.
But don't sleep on the Hawkeyes.
Unbeaten Iowa (10-0) currently ranks sixth, ahead of both the Cowboys and the Sooners. The undefeated Hawkeyes basically just have to win their remaining games for a spot in the playoff, as it gives the committee little choice but to reward an undefeated team with two wins over Top-25 teams.
Iowa's toughest opponent down the stretch is Nebraska, which owns a 5-6 record heading into this weekend. Iowa is in a good position to finish out the season and spoil the CFP for the Cowboys, Sooners and Fighting Irish.
Either the Sooners or the Cowboys will fall off the wagon in the final week of the regular season when they play each other, so Notre Dame and Iowa just have to worry about their own schedules in the meantime.
It's anyone's guess who will finish where in two weeks' time. It will be controversial, but most of all, it will be exciting.
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