CFP Rankings: Hope for Big 12 in Colorado and BYU If They Can Recover

STILLWATER – If they College Football Playoff started this weekend the BIg 12 would be in and with three weeks to go it looks like the Big 12 will have a top four conference championship bye. The CFP selection committee made that clear with their third to last set of rankings. The final rankings from the committee will come out on Sunday, Dec. 8. Those rankings will solidify the bracket for the 12-team playoff. 

Criteria for the CFP 12-team playoff: 

Top five conference champions get into the bracket 

Top four ranked conference champions get a bye

Teams seeded 5-8 host a first round game at home

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I project Colorado now as the Big 12 Champ.

BYU after losing to Kansas last Saturday dropped to No. 14 in the rankings, but only two behind Boise State, who has no more ranked opponents to play and will likely play anunranked Colorado State team in the Mountain West Championship. Now, Army is 9-0 and ranked No. 19. If the Cadets were able to beat No. 6 Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium this coming Saturday then that could spell problems but otherwise the Big 12 should have an 11-2 champion coming out of the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 7 in Arlington and that team should claim one of the top four conference champion bye positions in the playoff. 

As for the path for two Big 12 teams to make it in, that ended with BYU’s loss to Kansas. A very subpar game during what has been a subpar month for the Cougars cost the Big 12 and the way they are playing will likely cost BYU a playoff opportunity. 

Here is the way I project the final playoff bracket to look. Key games for me are Indiana, which I believe will loseto Ohio State but in a close game this coming Saturday in Columbus. My conference champions getting in the CFP are:

Oregon -  Big 10

Georgia - SEC

SMU - ACC

Colorado - Big 12