By Justin Parmer

Bama loses, Baylor is back on the menu and the Gophers’ Cinderella story comes to an end. Yup, just another week in college football. After months of debating, speculation, drama and chaos the eliminator has cut the list of candidates for the four playoff spots down to seven. Who’s in, who is all but in, who needs help and who was eliminated in this week 14’s 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.

In (2)

LSU

The eliminator said last week that should LSU beat the Aggies; the Tigers would be making their first playoff appearance. LSU not only beat the Aggies, they made sure to end them early. No seven overtimes necessary this time. 

With the Minnesota and Alabama losses earlier in the day, it would be all but impossible to take down the Tigers this late into the season. Unless the Tigers lose by over 30 points in a matchup against the number four team in the country, LSU is most certainly in. 

Ohio State 

Fine Buckeyes. You want in the playoffs. Here you go. Just know the reason why the eliminator held out so long, was because of the competition you had to go through. That and the ever-looming presence of a one loss Bama trumping all and the Minnesota Gophers still having the possibilities. 

Thanks to both of those teams taking their second loss on the season, like the Tigers, the eliminator sees no way, the Buckeyes will fall out of the playoffs, even if they lose to the Badgers. See you in Arizona Ohio State.  

Win and In (2)

Clemson (12-0)

While the eliminator can’t say Clemson is in the playoffs as of right now, with 100% certainty, the eliminator doesn’t see the Tigers dropping a game to (checks notes) …. Virginia??? How the heck did Virginia win the Coastal. To heck with the Pac 12, the Coastal division is where it’s at. Clemson, your home free and will likely be the 2 or 3 seed depending on the fates of LSU or Ohio State. Please be merciful to the Cavaliers. Pretty please? 

Georgia (11-1)

Alright Georgia, you may be 11-1 entering into the SEC Championship for the third year in a row, this time, you get to face the LSU Tigers, who seem like a team of destiny, riding on the back of Joe Burrow. The situation is crystal clear thanks to the losses of Alabama and Minnesota. 

You beat the Tigers; you are in the playoffs. You lose to the Tigers; the Gamecock of doom will come back to haunt you for what could have been. This is a prime opportunity to get into your second playoff appearance. Finish the job. 

Needs Help (2)

Oklahoma (11-1) 

Although Oklahoma looked like they were on upset alert throughout the first half, the Sooners pulled through and put the Cowboys out to the Cheese-It bowl. Oklahoma also received some massive help from the Tigers of Auburn and the Badgers of Wisconsin. While the path for Oklahoma is still rocky, the road to the 4th seed is doable. 

But in order for the Sooners to make it to the final four, they must beat Baylor in Jerry’s World. The last time the Sooners played the Bears, they were down 28-3. Baylor will not be letting the foot off the gas this time. The Sooners is going to have to match the explosiveness of Baylor early and keep it up for 60 minutes 

Even if the Sooners were to come away victorious, they will need some help to get into the playoffs. If Oklahoma gets in, it will be off the backs of a LSU or Virginia victory, plus a Utah loss in the Pac 12 championship. Has Oklahoma been lucky this season? Absolutely. Will they get the stars to align one more week, we’ll have to wait and see. 

Utah (11-1)

Utah, the eliminator is not supposed to be bias, but it wants you to make your first playoff appearance. Although the Bama and Minnesota loss helped everyone listed above the Utes, the Utes were the ones who benefited the most. 

All that remains in the path of the Utes, is a date with the Ducks, and a LSU/Virginia victory. Easier said than done. Yet, based on the Utes ranking 6th in the recent playoff rankings and Bama’s downfall, if this is the year the Pac 12 makes it back to the college football playoffs, here it is. Now watch the Ducks win which will force the committee to choose the winner of the Big 12. 

Back from the Dead (1)

Baylor (revived from 28-3)

Baylor, we apologize for axing you off way too early, but we did not expect this amount of chaos to go down over the past two weeks. Your path is identical to that of Oklahoma’s with the only difference being your hypothetical victory coming in a revenge match. Please do not make the eliminator regret putting you back into the fight. 

Eliminated (2)

Alabama

Method of elimination: DOINK 

Once there was a Crimson Tide in the lovely land of CFB

And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder team there never, never was

Bama filled the folks in playoff land with terror and with dread

‘Till one fine day from Auburn way a cyclone caught a post 

That brought the wicked, wicked Tide their doom 

As Bama was flying on down the field

For the doink fell on her post and the coroner pronounced Bama dead

And thru the land the joyous news was spread

Ding-dong, the Bama is dead! Which old Tide? The Crimson Tide

Ding-dong, the Alabama is dead

Wake up, your sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed

Wake up, the Crimson Tide are dead!

They’ve gone where the Sugar flow, below, below, yo ho

Let’s open up and sing, and tee pee the trees.

Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low

Let them know the Crimson Tide are dead.

Ding-dong, the Bama is dead! Which old Tide? The Crimson Tide

Ding-dong, the Alabama is dead

Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed

Wake up, the Crimson Tide are dead!

They’ve gone where the Sugar flow, below, below, yo ho

Let’s open up and sing, and tee pee the trees.

Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low

Let them know the Crimson Tide are dead.

Minnesota 

Method of elimination: Two losses 

All good things must come to an end. It was a great run for you Minnesota. Although you came up just short of winning the west for the Big 10, you have brought pride, joy and college gameday to the miserable sports teams that call Minnesota home. Simply put, the better team won this game. May you prosper in your New Year Six bowl appearance. 

Total number of teams eliminated: 123

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.

11/7 LSU vs Georgia (3:00 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 Championship week. All times are eastern standard time.

11/7 Baylor vs Oklahoma (11:00 a.m.)

Previously Eliminated 

Week 13 

Penn State (Big Ten)

Week 12

Oregon (Pac 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