<body><div><h2>Only a dozen unblemished teams remain.</h2><p>The College Football Playoff is heating up at midseason and there are <a href="https://247sports.com/longformarticle/college-football-rankings-espn-reveals-week-7-fpi-top-25-after-rash-of-upsets-237531112/">only 12 unbeaten teams left</a> on the board after a wild series of weekend results. Four of the AP Poll's top 11 teams went down Saturday, <a href="https://247sports.com/article/nick-saban-to-blame-for-alabamas-loss-to-vanderbilt-paul-finebaum-says-237551373/">including a SEC stunners</a> and the Group of Five race taking a turn.</p><p>From 43 to 19 to 12. That's how many college football teams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in recent weeks. That number will continue to dwindle in Week 7 given the wealth of quality matchups, including Ohio State's trip to Oregon, Texas battling Oklahoma in Dallas and Penn State flying across the country to take on USC.</p><p>The playoff paths are clear for the remaining unblemished — keep winning. The only fool-proof to guarantee playoff entry is to pick up an automatic bid by winning a conference championship. If not, you're at the mercy of the selection committee and your strength of schedule.</p><p>Here are the nation's remaining unbeatens ranked in ascending order:</p><h2>12. Liberty Flames</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2AdbC0_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2AdbC0_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Brian Bishop, USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Conference USA Championship then hope for absolute chaos.</p><p>No unbeaten in college football has an easier schedule the rest of the way, but it's going to take an unblemished record and then some for Liberty to be the Group of Five's representative in the playoff. Without any opportunities at beating a ranked opponent this season, the Flames are not going to have the strength of the schedule that validates inclusion unless a few of the Group of Five options ahead of them — namely Boise State, UNLV, Army and Navy — lose several games the remainder of the campaign.</p><h2>11. Pittsburgh Panthers</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2MBfvu_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2MBfvu_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take ACC Championship.</p><p>Quarterback Eli Holstein and the Panthers are ranked for the first time since 2022 and raced out to a 5-0 start for the first time in more than three decades. The special season could continue over the next two games against California and Syracuse before the Panthers travel to SMU. That's a huge matchup for ACC title-game implications. It's going to take an unbeaten season for Pat Narduzzi's team to get to the playoff and a win over Clemson or Miami most likely in December to do it.</p><h2>10. Army Black Knights</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2G66G5_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2G66G5_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Getty)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take American Athletic title.</p><p>Army, which leads the nation in rushing offense at 361 yards per game, has a legitimate chance to win the AAC and thus far, benefitted from not having to play a ranked team during the non-conference portion of its schedule. Jeff Monken has his team clicking at a high rate and they're going to be tested in a couple of weeks against Notre Dame.</p><h2>9. Navy Midshipmen</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2DH8Ew_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2DH8Ew_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Getty)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take American Athletic title.</p><p>The Midshipmen and Army Black Knights appear to be on a crash course to meet in mid-December in a battle of unbeatens. Should that happen, it'll make for a strange scenario since the final playoff rankings are set to be a revealed a week before that matchup is played. Navy's schedule, thus far, includes a win over Memphis and features Notre Dame, USF and Tulane down the stretch. That's more competitive than what Army has encountered at this point.</p><h2>8. Iowa State Cyclones</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1W53cM_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1W53cM_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Big 12 Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>There is a scenario in which two Big 12 teams get to the expanded playoff, but to ensure entry, the Cyclones need to keep going. They already own a victory over Iowa in the non-conference and take on Utah and Kansas State the final two games of the regular season. That late-November obstacle will determine the top of the conference standings at season's end.</p><h2>7. BYU Cougars</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3KTwLs_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3KTwLs_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Big 12 Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>Few teams have a better resume than the Cougars, who already hold wins over SMU and Kansas State through five games. Utah is the only ranked opponent left on the schedule, but games against Arizona, Oklahoma State and UCF over the next three weeks following an open date could be tricky. Expect the Big 12 to <a href="https://247sports.com/longformarticle/college-football-bowl-projections-in-week-7-alabama-usc-losses-shake-up-playoff-outlook-237451254/">produce a pair of playoff entries and right now</a>, BYU is the projected champion.</p><h2>6. Miami Hurricanes</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2BlhJp_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2BlhJp_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take ACC Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>Miami overcame consecutive double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter to stay unbeaten, but the Hurricanes are showing us they're far from a dominant team. Eventually, falling behind in the second half is going to cost Mario Cristobal's team down the stretch in the ACC unless Cam Ward continues to single-handedly keep his team within striking distance with his arm and legs. Miami gets an automatic bid by winning the ACC. There's also a chance the Hurricanes could finish 11-1, miss the ACC finale, and still get an at-large bid.</p><h2>5. Indiana Hoosiers</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1RVTvp_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1RVTvp_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: 247Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take the Big Ten Championship.</p><p>Indiana scored 41 or more points five consecutive weeks during this jaw-dropping 6-0 start under first-year coach Curt Cignetti with Kurtis Rourke at quarterback. That said, the meat of the schedule will soon begin for a team that's been relatively untested through the first half of the campaign. Nebraska, Washington, Michigan and Ohio State are ahead for the Hoosiers. Finishing with one loss this season might be enough to warrant playoff entry, but we believe winning a conference title is the only direct route.</p><h2>4. Penn State Nittany Lions </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4WpgOT_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4WpgOT_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Grace Brennan-Lions247)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Big Ten Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>Penn State is in prime position inside the top 10 where the Nittany Lions will be allowed a hiccup and still make good on their playoff-entry aspirations. They won five straight by double digits to open and travel to USC before an open date kicks off the second half. A home showdown with Ohio State on Nov. 2 essentially locks in a playoff berth for James Franklin's team with a victory.</p><h2>3. Oregon Ducks</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4BUxCX_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4BUxCX_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Tom Hauck, Getty)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Big Ten Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>The Big Ten produces multiple playoff entries with Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State being the frontrunners. The Ducks host the Buckeyes this weekend in one of college football's most-anticipated games of the year. The winner of that one is the Big Ten favorite heading into Week 8. There's also a scenario in which Oregon loses twice to Ohio State this season (including a second time in the league title game) and still gets in, but that's a dangerous scenario for the Ducks.</p><h2>2. Ohio State Buckeyes</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2STik9_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2STik9_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, USA TODAY Sports)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take Big Ten Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>Go ahead and pull out the Sharpie for the Buckeyes as a playoff lock if they're able to beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. Unless Ohio State crumbles after that game with a road date against Penn State and home contests with nationally-ranked Indiana and Michigan, Ryan Day's team is going to the playoff. The schedule has been relatively light up to this point, so Saturday's test will show if the Buckeyes are worthy.</p><h2>1. Texas Longhorns</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0ioCv2_0vx9WcSD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0ioCv2_0vx9WcSD00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Tim Warner, Getty)</figcaption></figure><p><b>Playoff path</b>: Win out and take SEC Championship or finish with one loss.</p><p>The Longhorns are one of the unbeatens with a schedule that's impressive enough to handle a setback or two. However, the only guarantee for entry is to win the SEC or at least appear in the title game with one loss or fewer. The selection committee will look at Texas favorably if, say, Steve Sarkisian's team has a blemish against Georgia or Texas A&amp;M before the final vote. Saturday's tilt with Oklahoma is another pivotal showdown for the Longhorns.</p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Ranking college football's 12 remaining unbeatens, paths to playoff

Only a dozen unblemished teams remain. The College Football Playoff is heating up at midseason and there are only 12 unbeaten teams left on the board after a wild series of weekend results. Four of the AP Poll's top 11 teams went down Saturday, including a SEC stunners and the Group of Five race taking a turn.

Ranking college football's 12 remaining unbeatens, paths to playoff

Comments / 0