There are 10 undefeated teams in college football remaining, and surprise — none of them are in the SEC.
After eight weeks, the SEC is arguably the most wide-open conference, with five schools having between a 30% and 50% chance to make it to Atlanta, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. Tennessee was the biggest playoff riser (22%) following its win against Alabama, while the Crimson Tide's chances of reaching the CFP sank by 25%.
And while no game in Week 9 will have a bigger effect on the CFP race than LSU at Texas A&M, the Friday night game between Boise State and UNLV will have monster implications on both the Mountain West Conference standings and the Group of 5 playoff positioning.
That's what the 12-team CFP has done — brought Boise State and UNLV into the conversation, along with Indiana, Kansas State and… Army and Navy?! There have been surprise contenders — and major disappointments.
College football insiders Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg hit them both this week, and have been talking to sources to get their reactions and the storylines to watch in Week 9.
Jump to a section:
Which team has had the most disappointing season?
How did Clemson turn things around?
Best defensive player
What's an under-the-radar CFP contender?
Emptying the notebook
Dinich: If we're handing out grades, you can't spell FSU without the F. The dropoff has been a plummet — from the top of the ACC to an afterthought not just in the conference race, but in its own state, where rival Miami is now king.
It's one thing to swing and miss a few times in the transfer portal, but the issues in Tallahassee clearly run deeper. There were 82 players who returned from last season's ACC championship team — many of whom coach Mike Norvell
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