It's always fun to play the what-if game, especially when you're trying to predict who will make it into the College Football Playoff. Alabama and Clemson seem like they're on a good path to make it, so let's play what-if for a few other teams to see who has the best shot at making it in.
You have a choice: LSU, Michigan, Texas or UCF. Who makes it?
We know that UCF will be crowned the National Champions again if it finishes undefeated, regardless of whether it makes the playoff or not, so it might not even matter to the Knights if they get in.
All jokes aside, this team is 7-0 on the season yet is ranked 32 in ESPN's Football Power Index and 19 in the Playoff Predictor. Those numbers are interesting because UCF has the seventh-best chance of winning the rest of its games (32.6 percent).
The other three teams seem more likely, especially Michigan, if the Wolverines can win out. They are currently ranked No. 4 in FPI and have the fourth-best shot at making the College Football Playoff at 41 percent, behind Clemson, Alabama and Notre Dame. Michigan made it through Michigan State and is headed for an important clash with Ohio State at the end of the season.
LSU has the next-best shot at making the playoff among these four teams at 14 percent, while Texas only has a 1.5 percent chance of being one of the final four, according to FPI. LSU's next big test, and a good indicator of whether it will make the selection committee's top four at season's end, comes Nov. 3 when the Tigers take on Alabama.
With that game looming, FPI only gives LSU a 3.5 percent chance of winning out. But as Herm Edwards says, that's why you play the game.
Who do you think makes it in?
Which of these teams is most likely to make the playoff?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 22, 2018
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