College Football Playoff elimination games: Which teams desperately need Week 11 win?

There are four weeks left before the conference championship games, meaning we are inching closer to finding out who will be in the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

The initial reveal of the College Football Playoff rankings may have caused some surprises or frustrations, and while fans have to remember there’s still plenty of football left to make one of the coveted spots, the first reveal set the path teams have to go down. As a result, the critical November games become even more important for some.

It’s tough to predict the playoff field given this is an unprecedented season, but it’s safe to say some teams have their hopes hanging on by a thread. So, which games have the biggest impact on who stays in the playoff race in Week 11?

No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 15 LSU

Practically an elimination game, the loser of this game can effectively kiss their College Football Playoff hopes away. Heading into the season, there were questions if a three-loss team from the SEC or Big Ten would be able qualify for the playoff given the strength in each conference. At this point, it doesn’t appear to be possible.

The Crimson Tide boast one of the best wins in the country over Georgia, but the loss against Vanderbilt weighs heavy. They did lose to a quality opponent in Tennessee, but Alabama didn’t look good in that one, which has been the case in some of its victories. On the other land, the Tigers are coming off a convincing loss against Texas A&M, and the season-opening defeat to Southern California gets worse as the Trojans continue to struggle.

A loss from either side will create a very difficult path toward reaching the SEC championship game and the automatic conference title bid. The loser will also take a sizable drop in the next playoff rankings, and with no highly-ranked opponents left on schedule, there isn’t much left to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-playoff-elimination-games-120427001.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-08 12:04:27

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