Greg McElroy Names Top 25 Program Whose College Football Playoff Hopes Are on Life Support

The Missouri Tigers have never appeared in the College Football Playoff but entered this season expecting to compete for a spot in the 12-team field.

After a loss to Texas A&M, the Tigers have no room for error if they are to meet the lofty preseason expectations. In Week 8, Missouri kept their playoff hopes alive with a comeback win over Auburn.

The Missouri offense got off to a slow start in the first half against Auburn, going into halftime tied at three. Quarterback Brady Cook left the game early with an injury and returned during the second half, finishing the outing with 194 passing yards.

Auburn came out firing in the third quarter and quickly scored two touchdowns to go up 17-3 before holding Missouri to a field goal. Missouri eventually found the end zone during the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points to secure the win over Auburn.

On a recent " Always College Football " episode, Greg McElroy showcased the weekend's top games. While he noted that Missouri's playoff chances are not dead with the 12-team format in effect, McElroy put the team's hopes on life support.

"...The way they scored there at the end to put up 15 fourth-quarter points to go and shock Auburn, frankly, was amazing," McElroy said. "Auburn's now two and five, and Missouri keeps their playoff hopes alive even though they're probably still on life support."

The Tigers have won two consecutive games since losing to the Aggies and only face one ranked opponent in their final five games. Missouri will need to finish 11-1 to have a chance to qualify for the SEC Championship game but could still make the field with a 10-2 record with an at-large bid.

Missouri will travel to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 26 to face the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide in a potential College Football Playoff elimination game. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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