Texas A&M is no longer the SEC’s top threat in the College Football Playoff race following Saturday night’s shocking 44-20 loss at South Carolina, which takes the Aggies out of the Week 11 updated bowl projections for the expanded playoff. Now in a multi-team tie for first with Texas and others, Mike Elko’s team must win out to give its a chance and will not be inside the top 10 of Tuesday’s first playoff rankings.
Clemson’s another team whose season took a dreadful turn after a home loss to Louisville. The Tigers will likely miss the playoff now since they’re a game back of league-leading Miami and SMU in the ACC. USC fell out of this week’s bowl projections after a loss to Washington, the Trojans’ fifth setback in seven games against Big Ten competition this fall. It’s a massive letdown for Lincoln Riley, who’s in line for another disappointing campaign in Los Angeles despite being ranked inside the preseason top 20.
A couple notes about the playoff sites and the start of bowl season next month: Due existing bowl deals, the SEC champion will automatically play its first playoff game (in the quarterfinals) at the Sugar Bowl, while the Big Ten champion goes to the Rose Bowl. The ACC champ will play in the Peach Bowl and the Big 12 champion heads to the Fiesta. Legacy Pac-12 schools will be slotted to bowl games with existing Pac-12 agreements.
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