Projecting the College Football Playoff top 12 after Week 9 - ESPN

Nowhere in the College Football Playoff selection committee's protocol does it refer to anything about a team's history and tradition — or lack thereof. It's not supposed to care that Vanderbilt hasn't been 7-1 in 84 years.

The 12 people in that room will absolutely care, though, that Vanderbilt is 7-1 now — with back-to-back wins against ranked SEC opponents LSU and Missouri. Vanderbilt — the story of the season — is on the brink of making its first appearance in any CFP ranking during the playoff era.

And not only will the Commodores crack the committee's top 25, but they also will have a legitimate chance to make their debut in the coveted top 12 when the first ranking is released Nov. 4. If the playoff were today, they would already be in. A lot can — and will — change with one Saturday remaining before the first ranking is revealed, but here is a snapshot of what it might look like through Week 9 results.

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Ranking | Bracket

Why they could be here: The Buckeyes remain safe at the top after a bye week, as Indiana's home win against a UCLA team that is now 3-5 wouldn't be enough to sway the committee into flipping them. Ohio State entered Week 9 ranked No. 1 in the country in total efficiency, No. 1 in defensive efficiency and No. 6 in offensive efficiency. The Buckeyes also have three Big Ten road wins to Indiana's two and are No. 1 in ESPN's Game Control metric with a slight edge over No. 2 Indiana. Ohio State's win at Washington would also be strongly valued by the committee, as the Huskies improved to 6-2 on Saturday.

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Why they could be lower: Indiana keeps making