US LBM Coaches Poll: Ohio State remains No. 1, Texas A&M falls
The latest U.S. LBM Coaches Poll has arrived, and Paul Meyerberg breaks down all the stories.
sports pulse
- Eighty-two teams qualified for the college football postseason, including two teams moving to the top division.
- This weekend’s conference championship games will determine the final bowl matchups and College Football Playoff participants.
- Several teams, including Alabama and Notre Dame, face uncertainty regarding their final bowl standings.
We know of 82 teams participating in the college football postseason. What we don’t know is where they will play in the College Football Playoff race entering the final weekend of the regular season.
The remaining questions revolve around conference championship games featuring playoff contenders, including the American and Sun Belt games that will determine the division’s Group 5 representatives.
It looks like 8-9 teams are fixed. Tuesday’s playoff rankings may revise this view, but it’s safe to assume that Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are locked in. Notre Dame looks strong coming into the season, but that could change after the final weekend.
The fun begins with Alabama, which was ranked No. 10 by the committee last week. Should the Crimson Tide, currently in the final at-large spot, be eliminated by losing to Georgia in the SEC title game? The nature of the loss will also play a role, as will the outcome between Texas Tech and Brigham Young in the Big 12 title game. If the Cougars defeat the Red Raiders, they will qualify and will likely defeat Alabama, which has lost three games. Even if BYU loses, the Crimson Tide could be eliminated as Miami, Utah and Vanderbilt sit behind the Cougars.
The winner of North Texas and Tulane will play, but the second contender from Group 5 could shake things up. If James Madison wins the Sun Belt, the five-loss Dukes could earn a spot if they win the ACC title game against Virginia.
Further into the postseason, there were exactly 82 teams that achieved the six wins required for bowl eligibility. Two of those players are from transition teams at Missouri State and Delaware, which were not allowed to participate in the postseason unless spots became available. Bears and Blue Hens fans, welcome to the party.
Note: Not all conferences meet their bowl quotas. Asterisks represent alternative picks. Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will honor existing Pac-12 bowl contracts through the 2025 season.
