By Justin Parmer
As the number of teams continues to dwindle, the intensity only amplifies. With only two eliminations this week, the once 130 team field has shrunk to just 16 teams. Who bit the dust this week? Let’s take a look at who is still safe, who’s on the brink and who got eliminated by the eliminator with the first College Football Playoff rankings just around the corner.
Regular Season Elimination Method
Power-five Method (and Notre Dame)

• Losing two games
• Losing to a group-of-five school
• Losing to an FCS school or lower
• Losing a game by 30 or more points.

Teams remaining safe (8)
ACC (1)
Clemson 
Big Ten (3)
Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State
Big 12 (2)
Baylor, Oklahoma
SEC (2)
Alabama, LSU
On the brink of elimination (8)
Auburn (6-1)
Auburn was never in any danger against the Razorbacks. With a 17-point lead at the half, the Tigers expanded their lead to a 51-10 route. With their victory on the road, the Tigers have some much-needed momentum heading into a “do or die” matchup in Death Valley, their first of three top-10 matchups to end the season. One thing is clear, though: Auburn is still in the race until Saturday.
Florida (7-1)
The eliminator enjoys the wonders of Refball so much in pouring rain. Despite the Gamecocks’ best efforts, Florida had the talent and the referees’ favor to avoid the trap game on the road. With their victory in Columbia, the Gators also receive some much-needed rest, being one of the few teams yet to have a bye. They’ll need it though, because Florida’s next matchup is against Georgia in the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. With Missouri’s traditional “Barry Odom loss,” the matchup is all but a guaranteed SEC East Championship game. 
Georgia (6-1)
The eliminator doesn’t know what was worse: the weather or the on-field product? Either way, it was a monsoon of bad passes and punters kicking the ball for two and a half quarters. Georgia then realized the air game wasn’t working and went for the hard nose ground and pound. That was enough for Georgia to head into their final bye week with a sloppy victory. Once again, the game will most likely decide the East thanks to Missouri’s loss. Even if the Bulldogs do come away from Jacksonville victorious, they still have to go through the aforementioned Tigers of Missouri and Auburn and Texas A&M. If they manage to pull all of that off, then a rematch against LSU or Bama awaits. It’s a long road ahead for the Bulldogs.
Notre Dame (5-1)  
No changes. Bye Week.
Oregon (6-1)
Good news PAC 12, your best chance at a playoff berth is still alive. It may not have been the prettiest of games, but Oregon did what they had to do to escape the jaws of the Huskies on the road after being down by 10 with 18 minutes left to play. With the victory, the Ducks now have gotten past their toughest Pac 12 opponent and have smooth sailing for the next month. That isn’t to say though that PAC 12 after dark might be afoot. Yet, should the Ducks survive the rest of the season without a loss, it would be hard to say no to a one-loss Oregon going forward. 
Utah (6-1)
Like the Ducks, Utah also received their first statement over Arizona State in convincing fashion. While The 21-3 victory over the Sun Devils asserts Utah as the second-best team in the PAC 12, it does not give them control over their own destiny going forward. The Utes will still need a Trojan loss inside the PAC 12 for Utah to take command of the south. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem though, thanks to USC upcoming PAC 12 schedule. What is a problem, however, is getting through California and Washington without a scratch. The next two weeks will tell us whether or not Utah is up to the task of leading the PAC 12.
Wake Forest (6-1)
Congratulations, Wake Forest! Since you were able to snatch victory out of nowhere from the Seminoles at home, you have qualified for a bowl game. Now it is time to receive your other prize: another bye week and four of the toughest ACC teams out there for your final five games of the season. Even better news, you get to play Clemson in. South Carolina. Doesn’t that sound like a pleasant way to end the regular season before getting chucked to the Pinstripe Bowl? No? Well, too bad it’s coming for you anyways. Enjoy your final few weeks. The eliminator is getting tiered of this mediocre team pretending to be in the playoff hunt.
Wisconsin (6-1)
You looked past your opponent, didn’t you Wisconsin? You saw that big shiny game in the Horseshoe with College Gameday and a chance to assert your dominance over the Big 10, a chance to prove yourselves against an “overrated” Buckeyes squad. Guess what, though? You lost to a Big 10 bottom feeder. And not just any bottom feeder, you lost to Illinois. That statement should make any Badger fan cry “I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S,” a team that is literally a punching bag for the entire Big Ten West. Scratch that, the eliminator is being disrespectful to the punching bag. Did the eliminator also forget to mention they did this on homecoming? The Badger are now likely to go from sixth in the nation to sixth in the Big 10 standings in two weeks flat. Enjoy the Justin Fields’ house of pain next week Wisconsin. 
Eliminated (2)
Michigan
Method of elimination: Two losses 
T’was not a good week for the Wolverines. Not only did Michigan receive its second loss of the season, the team that nuked them into oblivion lost to Illinois. Even worse, it came to Penn State during the White Out, on national television, while receiving the College Gameday treatment. Wait a minute … Illinois beat Wisconsin, Wisconsin beat Michigan and Michigan beat Illinois. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a triangle of suck! Now, where was the eliminator? Oh right, it’s a phone call for you, Mr. John Harbaugh. Your job is on the line.  
Arizona State 
Method of elimination: Two losses 
It was fun while it lasted, Sun Devil fans. You held on for as long as you could. The eliminator was proud to see how far you have made it into the college football playoff fight. Alas, all things must come to an end, and Utah finally took Arizona State out of the playoff race. Hate to see the David fall, but Arizona State was never going to make it. Best of luck clinching a bowl berth Sun Devils.
Bonus Elimination 
Boise State
Method of elimination: Loss 
The last chance the group of five had left. Yes, Appalachian State and SMU are both undefeated as of now, but neither have the schedule to back them up. Appalachian due to being a Sun Belt team, and SMU thanks to the fall of UCF and Houston despite breakout seasons by Cincinnati and Memphis. No, Boise State was the last shot the group of five was hoping to bank on and, as all teams do, Boise couldn’t take out BYU in Utah. Not only does this end Boise’s playoff hopes, but should the Mustangs or Mountaineers run the table, Boise won’t even have a shot at a New Year Six bowl game.  But in all honesty Boise State, it’s time to get out of the Mountain West for football.  
Total number of teams Eliminated: 114
Remaining Teams Games
The following are between teams that still have a shot at making the college football playoffs. Here are the elimination games for week eight. All times are eastern standard time.
10/26 Wisconsin vs Ohio State (12:00 p.m.)
10/26 Auburn vs LSU (3:30 p.m.)
Elimination games
The following games are elimination games, because no matter who wins, one team will meet a criteria that will deem them unworthy of entering the college football playoffs. Here are the elimination games for week eight. All times are eastern standard time.
None
Previously Eliminated 
Week 7
Virginia (ACC)
Iowa (Big Ten)
Texas (Big 12)
Week 6 
Michigan State (Big Ten)
Kansas State (Big 12)
Oklahoma State (Big 12)
California (PAC 12)
Washington (PAC 12)
Week 5
Boston College (ACC)
North Carolina State (ACC)
Virginia Tech (ACC)
Nebraska (Big Ten)
Iowa State (Big 12)
Texas Tech (Big 12)
Washington State (PAC 12)
Mississippi State
Week 4 
Navy (AAC)
Louisville (ACC)
North Carolina (ACC)
Northwestern (Big Ten)
TCU (Big 12)
Arkansas (SEC)
Kentucky (SEC)
Texas A&M (SEC)
Week 3
Pittsburgh (ACC)
Illinois (Big 10)
Indiana (Big 10)
Maryland (Big 10)
Colorado (PAC 12)
USC (PAC 12)
Stanford (PAC 12)
South Carolina (SEC)
Week 2
Cincinnati (AAC)
Tulane (AAC)
Miami (ACC)
Syracuse (ACC)
Rutgers (Big Ten)
Kansas (Big 12)
Oregon State (Big 12)
West Virginia (Big 12)
Northern Illinois (MAC)
Western Michigan (MAC)
Vanderbilt (SEC)
Week 1
Houston (AAC)
Duke (ACC)
Florida State (ACC)
Georgia Tech (ACC)
Purdue (Big 10)
FAU (Conference USA)
Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
Kent State (MAC)
Miami (OH) (MAC)
Mississippi (SEC)
Tennessee (SEC)
UCLA (Pac 12)
Week 0
Arizona (Pac 12)
Preseason
Connecticut (AAC)
East Carolina (AAC)
Memphis (AAC)
SMU(AAC)
Temple (AAC)
UCF(AAC)
Alabama-Birmingham (Conference USA)
Charlotte (Conference USA)
Florida International (Conference USA)
Louisiana Tech (Conference USA)
Marshall (Conference USA)
North Texas (Conference USA)
Rice (Conference USA)
Southern Mississippi (Conference USA)
Texas San-Antonio (Conference USA)
Western Kentucky (Conference USA)
Akron (MAC)
Ball State (MAC)
Bowling Green (MAC)
Buffalo (MAC)
Central Michigan (MAC)
Eastern Michigan (MAC)
Ohio (MAC)
Toledo (MAC)
Air Force (Mountain West)
Boise State (Mountain West)
Colorado State (Mountain West)
Fresno State (Mountain West)
Hawaii (Mountain West)
Nevada (Mountain West)
New Mexico State (Mountain West)
San Jose State (Mountain West)
UNLV (Mountain West)
Utah State (Mountain West)
Wyoming (Mountain West)
Missouri (SEC)*
Appalachian State (Sun Belt)
Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt)
Georgia State (Sun Belt)
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)
Louisiana (Sun Belt)
Louisiana Monroe (Sun Belt)
South Alabama (Sun Belt)
Troy (Sun Belt)
Texas State (Sun Belt)
Army (Independent)
BYU (Independent)
Liberty (Independent)
New Mexico State (Independent)
UMass (Independent)
*Missouri is bowl ineligible but is currently in the appeals process.
Edited by Emma Moloney | [email protected]