Week 7 narrowed the field again. Several more Power Four hopefuls, including Auburn, Penn State, Florida State, South Carolina fell to three losses, ending their playoff dreams.
What remains is a condensed, combustible race filled with unbeaten powerhouses and two-loss survivors clinging to mathematical hope.
SEC
The SEC is once again the sport’s deepest battlefield and as Week 7 closes, 11 teams remain alive for the College Football Playoff.
Ole Miss (6-0), Texas A&M (6-0), and Oklahoma (5-1) headline the front line of contenders, each boasting elite quarterback play and top-ten defenses.
Yet Oklahoma’s footing is shakier than it looks. The Sooners fell to Texas (4-2) in the Red River Showdown, and with matchups against LSU, Tennessee, and Ole Miss still ahead, the road only gets rougher.
Alabama (5-1) and Georgia (5-1) continue to hover just outside perfection, both still firmly alive in the playoff picture.
Behind the giants sits a crowd of hopefuls — LSU (5-1), Tennessee (5-1), Missouri (5-1), and Vanderbilt (5-1) — all capable of shaking up November with a few statement wins.
Texas (4-2) and Mississippi State (4-2) remain alive for the moment, but their margin for error is gone. One more loss, and the door slams shut.
Big Ten
The Big Ten remains a war of attrition, and as Week 7 ends, 12 teams are still alive for the College Football Playoff.
At the top, Ohio State (6-0) and Indiana (6-0) continue their unbeaten march, each eyeing a potential collision in the Big Ten Championship.
Behind them, USC (5-1), Oregon (5-1), Washington (5-1), and Nebraska (5-1) hold strong as one-loss contenders. Michigan (4-2), is clinging to mathematical life.
And then there’s the chasing pack — Maryland (4-2), Illinois (5-2), Minnesota (4-2), Iowa (4-2), and Northwestern (4-2) — all still breathing, all needing to be perfect the rest of the way.
Penn State (3-3) is out after back-to-back losses, its playoff hopes officially gone, leaving the Big Ten’s 12 survivors to fight through October’s grind.
More: Nine team remain alive for Group of Five college football playoffs bid
ACC
The ACC heads into Week 8 with 9 teams remain alive in the playoff chase.
Georgia Tech (6-0) and Miami (5-0) lead the way and both look like serious playoff contenders. Virginia (5-1) has quietly went from a spoiler to a legitimate conference threat.
Behind them, Duke (4-2), SMU (4-2), Pitt (4-2), Louisville (4-1), Wake Forest (3-2), and California (4-2) are all alive for now, each with a narrow path and no margin for error.
Florida State (3-3) and NC State (4-3) have been officially erased from the playoff board after critical losses in Week 7.
Big 12
Parity defines the new Big 12, and as Week 7 closes, 10 teams remain alive for the College Football Playoff.
BYU (6-0) and Texas Tech (6-0) sit atop the standings, the league’s two unbeaten stories and instant playoff wild cards.
Right behind them, Cincinnati (5-1), Utah (5-1), and Houston (5-1) continue to push toward November with realistic playoff paths still intact.
The two-loss survivors — Arizona State (4-2), Arizona (4-2), Baylor (4-2), Iowa State (5-2), and TCU (4-2) — all remain mathematically alive but have no more margin for error.
Independents
Notre Dame (4-2) remains alive. The Irish have a challenging back-half schedule that includes Pitt, USC, and Miami. They still control their own destiny, but another loss, however, would end it.
Next Week’s Key Games to Watch
In the SEC, Tennessee at Alabama and LSU at Vanderbilt will push the losers to the brink of elimination. Oklahoma and Missouri both face pivotal road tests. The Sooners travel to South Carolina, while Mizzou heads to Auburn.
Ole Miss will try to stay perfect when it travels to Georgia, and both Texas A&M and Texas face tricky road contests at Arkansas and Kentucky respectively.
In the Big Ten, Nebraska could knock out the Gophers when it travels to Minnesota on Friday night. Notre Dame hosts USC in a marquee showdown with major playoff implications. Rutgers welcomes Oregon, Ohio State travels to Wisconsin, and Iowa will look to hand Penn State its fourth straight loss.
Washington heads to the Big House to face Michigan, while Indiana looks to stay perfect at home against Michigan State.
In the ACC, Clemson, already sitting at three losses, can eliminate SMU. Virginia will try to keep it rolling at home against Washington State, while Louisville travels to Miami on Friday night. Georgia Tech looks to stay perfect and eliminate Duke on the road.
In the Big 12, Baylor and TCU meet in a true elimination game. Undefeated BYU hosts rival Utah in a high-stakes showdown. Arizona travels to Houston, and Arizona State looks to stay alive against unbeaten Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Cincinnati can improve to 6-1 with a win over Oklahoma State.