Ohio State, TCU, Clemson, LSU and Baylor are among the popular names for the College Football Playoff, but don’t sleep on a few under-the-radar contenders for the four-team championship tournament.
While power-conference teams undeniably have an edge because of reputation, one Group of Five school has pushed its way into the CFP picture. The first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings—which are set to be released after Week 9—will show how the committee views these underrated squads.
Stanford Cardinal
Quarterback Kevin Hogan returned for another year, so Stanford was a trendy pick to reach the College Football Playoff. But a season-opening loss to Northwestern, the Cardinal tumbled out of the headlines. Although the team has slowly crawled back into the top 10, can we take Stanford seriously?
As long as Christian McCaffrey is healthy, you sure can. The sophomore running back has racked up 1,816 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns, which would be a respectable season yet he’s achieved it in seven games.
Washington State, Colorado, Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame and potentially the Pac-12 Championship Game remain on the schedule. The slate isn’t easy, but it sure is manageable with McCaffrey leading the way.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Every single CFP contender would trade its schedule to play Iowa’s final five outings. Forget rivalries and all the other buzz. Pretend like those pride-filled games are already done, and this is what’s left:
Maryland (2-5), Indiana (4-4), Minnesota (4-3), Purdue (1-6) and Nebraska (3-5).
Yeah, that’ll work. The Hawkeyes have a strong defense, and their offense is quietly productive. Led by quarterback C.J. Beathard, Iowa has tallied fewer than 350 total yards just once and scored 32.9 points per game.
If the Hawkeyes make it through the less-than-daunting schedule unscathed, the final barrier between Iowa and the College Football Playoff is the Big Ten Championship Game. A win wouldn’t be expected, but the Hawkeyes would at least be in position to pull a shocker, and that’s half the batttle.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
If 7-0 Oklahoma State maneuvers its way through the remaining schedule, the Cowboys are absolutely deserving of a spot in the playoff. TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma each stand in the way.
On the bright side, though, Oklahoma State knocked off rival Oklahoma last season and toppled both TCU and Baylor during the most recent matchup in Stillwater. Although TCU’s Trevone Boykin is an absolute monster, the Pokes won’t have to stop Baylor’s Seth Russell.
Oklahoma State would be the unlikeliest of CFP participants, but its No. 20 defense and No. 21 offense could be enough to emerge from a high-powered Big 12 as the One True Champion.
Memphis Tigers
It seems the darling of 2015 is the Memphis Tigers, who have a quarterback soaring up draft boards and a coach considered one of the hottest names for vacant and soon-to-be vacant jobs. The biggest negative, however, is that Memphis plays in the American Athletic Conference.
Considering the attention Paxton Lynch and Justin Fuente have brought to the team, there’s hope. However, a legitimately tough remaining schedule makes that hope a reality for the Tigers.
Memphis must topple a 5-1 Navy squad and the 18th-ranked Houston Cougars as well as the 21st-ranked Temple Owls once but potentially twice if they meet once again in the AAC Championship Game. If the Tigers finish 13-0 with wins over Ole Miss, Houston, Temple twice and Bowling Green, they’ll have a serious argument to shake up the College Football Playoff.