Let’s Reset The College Football Playoff Picture As Craziness Awaits In ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Big 12

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The month of November is finally upon us, and the college football season is entering the final month of the regular season, with a lot of questions remaining about which teams make it from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12. 

To say this has been a wild season around the country would be putting it mildly, as we still don’t have a team in college football that looks unbeatable. And to be honest, that’s a good thing, especially with the college football playoff expanding to 12 teams. 

The SEC and Big Ten are still a crapshoot, although the picture is starting to become a bit clearer on which teams are going to be in contention down the stretch. The ACC looks like a two-team league, but then SMU and Pittsburgh decided to enter the fray, which has made things interesting, to say the least. 

For the Big 12, this has been one of the most fascinating conferences to follow, given that there are a number of teams still in-play for the automatic qualifier, along with getting an additional team in the playoffs. 

Let’s take a look at where we stand, as we enter the final stretch of the 2024 regular season. 

The Big Ten Is Looking Like A Three-Team League, But Chaos Can Happen

One of the most interesting stories of this season so far has been the 7-0 Indiana Hoosiers, who are fighting for a spot in the Big Ten championship game, along with an at-large bid. Sure, Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon look like the automatic qualifiers, but there is a scenario where the Buckeyes are left out, and it starts this weekend. 

While Indiana is waiting for its shot at the Buckeyes, we’re getting a premier matchup on Saturday between Ohio State and Penn State, which could see Ryan Day suffer his second conference loss of the season on the road. If the Nittany Lions can get over the hump and win this weekend, it puts the Buckeyes in a tough spot, with a game against Indiana looming. 

I’m not trying to send Ohio State fans into panic mode, but their offense has put us in this spot to discuss them not making it. Lose this weekend to Penn State, and that game against Indiana on November 23rd becomes a must win. 

Imagine that, the Hoosiers control their fate, but the strength of schedule doesn’t help much. That’s why this upcoming game later in November is so big, for playoff implications. 

SEC Has A Chance At Four Teams, But It Could Get Dicey

The Texas A&M win over LSU this past weekend was massive for the Aggies shot at getting into the playoffs. Not only did it put them atop the SEC standings, but it gives them some wiggle room for later in November. Sure, there are a few games that feel like a trap, starting this weekend against South Carolina, but Mike Elko should have his team sitting undefeated in the conference when the Texas game arrives. 

And guess what? The Aggies could lose that game and still get into the playoffs. 

Texas should be fine, after winning at Vanderbilt this past weekend and getting an off-week to prepare for a trip to Florida. Even if they were to lose to Texas A&M in the final regular season game, lucky for them the Aggies are good enough that the loss won’t kill their shot at the playoff. 

Georgia is in a good place right now, but that game against Ole Miss next week will be critical. Don’t lose on the road to a Lane Kiffin squad that still has a chance to get an at-large berth, after thinking the world was crashing down after losing to Kentucky and LSU. 

As for the other teams fighting for a spot. Tennessee controls its own destiny, as does Alabama. I’m pretty much out on Missouri, as the Tigers aren’t playing good enough to be discussed any longer. 

Hello There ACC, You’re Making Things Interesting

Ok, this has felt like a two-team league for the past month, with Miami and Clemson fighting for the ACC championship. But, now we have SMU and Pittsburgh causing chaos in the conference, ahead of their matchup on Saturday night. 

Either the Mustangs and Panthers will take a hit this weekend, however this game plays out, but whichever team wins, it’s going to be a fascinating race down the stretch. We could still see a weird scenario of tiebreakers. 

There is a scenario that either Miami or Clemson are left out of the ACC championship thanks to tiebreaker rules, which would be a monumental moment for the conference. Either way, I see the Tigers and Hurricanes get into the playoff, but there could be a 3rd team, and that would be fascinating to see play out. 

Big 12 Conference Has Been Must-See TV, And Colorado Is Hanging 

Thanks to being undefeated at the moment, both Iowa State and BYU control their own destiny, which could lead to the conference getting two teams into the playoff, even if one of them catches a loss. 

The interesting aspect of all of this is Kansas State and Colorado, who both have a loss in conference play. The Wildcats hold the tiebreaker over Colorado, so Deion Sanders would need his team to win-out, and Kansas State lose to Iowa State later in November. 

While this feels like we’re on a collision course for the Cyclones and Cougars to play for the Big 12 title, we’ve seen crazier things happen, so don’t overlook the potential chaos. 

Group Of Five Is Running Through Boise State

Now that Navy is out of the perceived equation after losing to Notre Dame this past weekend, this is Boise State’s bid to lose right now. Even though Navy is undefeated in the AAC, we still have an interesting situation brewing with Army and Navy. 

As for Boise State, that win over UNLV last week was critical, and we could get another game between the two teams in the Mountain West title game. This is the Broncos spot to lose, but as we’ve seen this season, don’t count-out the possibility of pure madness. 

Alright, let me hear what you think about the month of November in college football, along with the playoffs. Email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com and let the comments fly.