College Football Playoff Eliminator: Week 13 Edition


By Justin Parmer
Eight teams. That is all that remains in the race for the coveted four playoff spots. As the Rivalry week dawns upon us, the final candidates are being selected, teams are making final preparations for their respected conference championships and are making their final cases to the playoff committee. Which teams are in? Who is on the cutline? And who took the final dive in the Week 13 College Football Playoff Eliminator
Regular Season Elimination Method
Power-five Method 

  • 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.

Locked in tight, don’t let the upsets bite (2)
LSU
No changes. Practically a bye week. LSU is now one game away from being a lock into the playoffs.
Clemson
No changes. Bye week. 
Teams remaining safe (1)
Ohio State 
Yes, Ohio State, you beat the Nitty Lions. Yes, the Buckeyes finally have a quality win not degraded by a team two weeks prior. No, the Ohio State Buckeyes do not belong in the Locked in tight category. 
While the Buckeyes did beat Penn State, the Buckeyes are still not safe. Despite the undefeated record and all of the top 25 victories, the Buckeyes still have to go through both Michigan and the winner of the axe. We would say just beating the Wolverines would be enough to lock up a spot, regardless of the Big 10 championship, but Alabama is still a one loss team and so is the potential of two to three teams from the SEC getting into the playoffs. 
This also comes at a time where the health of Justin Fields will be coming into question. Fields is the engine to the team, and should he be out, the threat of a Michigan upset rises. If the Buckeyes lose in the next two weeks, they must pray for LSU to win the SEC in a close game. Otherwise, the Buckeyes will once again be left out to dry.
On the brink of elimination (5)
Alabama (9-1)
No changes. Practically a bye week.
Georgia (9-1) 
The eliminator can’t exactly tell what was uglier? The weather down in Athens or the offensive display put up by the Bulldogs. Yes, the Bulldogs won the game in convincing fashion, however the offense just looks outright flat. The good news is the defense is still holding and the Bulldogs are two games away from reaching the promise land. The bad news, the Bulldogs still have to go through the LSU Tigers to get there. Until they meet in Atlanta, the Bulldogs get to enjoy a nice vacation; swatting at a Yellow Jackets nest next week
Minnesota (9-1)
Out of everyone on this list, Minnesota needed a cupcake more than anyone for their week 13 matchup. A tough loss to Iowa a week prior, Penn State a week before that, and the battle for the axe next week, the Gophers needed an easy team to rest and recover. Luckily for them they got a Northwestern team down to their 4th quarterback on the season. That is not a typo. 
As a result, Minnesota got out to an early 21-0 and got the starters off the field early. Their 38 points against the Wildcats, not only secured a victory but also secured a date with College Gameday for the first time in school history. 
If to Gophers beat the Badgers with the eyes of the football world upon them, Minnesota will not only have clinched a shot to face the Buckeyes, but a New Year Six’s appearance for the first time since 1962. And under the right circumstances, the Gophers could find themselves playing not in Pasadena, but in Atlanta or Glendale. The Axe has a lot on the line this season, and the Gophers will have to grind to get it.
Oklahoma (9-1) 
Oklahoma won two out of the three battles on Saturday. They beat TCU, get that one squared away. The Sooners got help from Arizona State, giving them a chance to surpass the PAC 12. What Oklahoma failed to do, was win and to win in convincing fashion. It seems as if the Sooners are running on magical pixie dust and they keep finding more in the back of the Wagon. They don’t look like a playoff caliber team yet have lucked their way to victory over the past three games.
The trials for Oklahoma don’t end this week either. The Sooners now have to go on the road to face a white-hot Oklahoma State Cowboys team. Should they get past the Cowboys, a rematch with Baylor will await. If Oklahoma wants to make their case to the playoff committee, they have to do it here and now. Otherwise we’ll have a two loss Georgia getting in over this one loss team. And nobody wants to deal with that blatant SEC bias scandal. 
Utah (9-1)
General Utes. Years ago, you served the Pac 12 to get Oregon into the playoffs. Now the Pac 12 begs you to help the conference in their struggle against the playoff committee. I regret that I am unable to present the Pac 12’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack by Sun Devils, and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to the promise land has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Pac. 12 into the memory systems of this Wildcat. Colorado will know how to retrieve it. You must yourself safely delivered to Levi Stadium. This is our most desperate hour. Help us, Utah Utes. You’re our only hope.
The entire Pac 12
All jokes and Star Wars references aside, Oregon’s loss puts Utah as the sole torch bearer for the Pac 12. If the Pac 12 is to make the playoffs, it now lies solely on the hands of the Utes. A loss at this point by Utah will be an elimination for all. We are counting on you Utah. Don’t let the Pac 12 down like the Pac 12 does to us every year.
Eliminated (2)
Oregon (9-1)
Method of elimination: Two losses 
Agony, thy name is Arizona State. You can’t even blame the eliminator for jinxing you, we said it was likely Oregon and Utah would meet up in the Pac 12 championship with only one loss each. Yet, the Ducks had to roll into Tempe, and choke a golden opportunity to get themselves into the playoffs. Not only is Oregon out, but the entire conference is now a circle of suck. Quite literally: 
Oregon beat California 
California beat Washington State 
Washington State beat Colorado 
Colorado beat Stanford 
Stanford beat Washington 
Washington beat USC
USC beat Utah
Utah beat Oregon State 
Oregon State beat Arizona 
Arizona beat UCLA
UCLA beat Arizona State 
Arizona State beat Oregon and repeat. 
Please Oregon, just let Utah have it’s day in the sun for all of us who don’t want the SEC getting three teams in the playoffs. Pretty please?
Penn State (9-1)
Method of elimination: Two losses 
Penn State, you knew the grim reaper known as Ohio State was going to get you eliminated this week. Although, to be fair to the Nitty Lions, they were able to hold the Buckeyes offense under 30 points, a feat not done by any defense this season. The only problem was, the offense couldn’t follow up, due to Chase Young playing like a man possessed. The eliminator will add this though. You were eliminated more honorably than any team eliminated by the Buckeyes before you. Now you must await your destiny. Will it be the Rose, Citrus, or Outback. We will find out sooner rather than later.
Total number of teams Eliminated: 122
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 thirteen. All times are eastern standard time.
None
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 thirteen. All times are eastern standard time.
None
Previously Eliminated 
Week 12
Baylor (Big 12)
Week 11
Wake Forest (ACC)
Week 10
Florida (SEC)
Week 9
Wisconsin (Big Ten) 
Auburn (SEC)
Notre Dame (Independent)
Week 8
Michigan (Big Ten)
Arizona State (PAC 12)
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 | ehm3gd@mail.missouri.edu

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