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Remember that heartbreaking 38-35 loss at South Carolina all the way back in Week 3? That may be the only blemish on the Bulldogs' resume come selection time. Georgia posted a solid double-digit win at Arkansas last week and faces only one more really tough test this year, at home against #5 Auburn on Nov. 15. Getting running back Todd Gurley back for that contest would be huge.
If they hit the SEC title game on a 10-game winning streak and topple the west champion, the Bulldogs are a lock for the playoff. (Getty Images/Kyle Rivas)
Getty Images/Kyle Rivas
The Horned Frogs' dream season looked like it might have turned into a nightmare after blowing a 21-point fourth-quarter lead at rival Baylor two weeks ago. But TCU showed no signs of a hangover, blowing the doors off a ranked Oklahoma State team last week.
They still have to travel to Morgantown and face a rugged Kansas State team at home in back-to-back weeks. But if they can survive the rest of the gauntlet and Baylor loses once more, the Big 12 -- and a spot in the playoff -- is theirs for the taking. (Getty Images/Ronald Martinez)
Getty Images/Ronald Martinez
Oh, what might have been in Manhattan, if only the Fightin' Snyders had beaten #5 Auburn, a game they absolutely should have won. There are potential roadblocks nearly every week ahead on the schedule, giving the Wildcats no margin for error.
But if they take care of the lesser opponents at home and beat #10 TCU in Fort Worth, #22 West Virginia in Morgantown and #12 Baylor in Waco, they'll find themselves with a chance to win the whole thing. (Getty Images/Brett Deering)
Getty Images/Brett Deering
The Bears' direct path to the final four was derailed in Morgantown last week. But that doesn't mean they're done yet, especially with three Big 12 teams in the top 12 in the country. They've already beaten TCU and will have a chance to knock off K-State in their final game of the year.
The Bears will also need to win at Norman on Nov. 8, but they continue to control their conference destiny outside of West Virginia, which still has major tests remaining. Baylor will need to win out impressively, but there will be opportunities to move up. (Getty Images/Tom Pennington)
Getty Images/Tom Pennington
It was easy to dismiss the Buckeyes after the injury to star quarterback Braxton Miller. A bad home loss to Virginia Tech only made that easier. But Ohio State has blown out its last four opponents by a combined score of 224-69 and ought to be 7-1 heading into their Nov. 8 showdown in East Lansing.
The Buckeyes will need to run the table, then take the B1G title game, but that might just be enough if they get some help from the teams ahead of them. (Getty Images/Jonathan Ernst)
Getty Images/Jonathan Ernst
Don't sleep on the Sun Devils. Written off by many after their blowout home loss to UCLA in late September, Arizona State has star signal-caller Taylor Kelly back behind center and looks like a completely different team. After escaping with a nice road win at USC, the Sun Devils completely controlled Stanford in a 26-10 victory last week.
Their only remaining road tests are at Washington, Oregon State and Arizona to close the year, with home conference dates against Utah and Washington State. A November 8 showdown with #7 Notre Dame in the desert will give ASU a national stage to state its case. (Getty Images/Christian Petersen)
Getty Images/Christian Petersen
The Cornhuskers don't really have a quality win on their schedule to date, but their only loss came at Michigan State, in a contest they nearly rallied back to capture. There are no juggernauts remaining, as the Nov. 15 matchup in Madison has lost some of its luster, with Wisconsin falling twice in its first six games.
As it stands, the November 22 home matchup with Minnesota may decide the B1G West, and could land the Huskers in a title game rematch with the Spartans (or Ohio State), with potentially more than just conference glory on the line. (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)
Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel
A bad road loss at Boston College seemed to sink the Trojans' season before it really took sail. And with two losses, the road ahead will be tough. But if Arizona State (the only other team to beat USC) keeps winning, and the Trojans do the same, the road ahead is still open.
A road win at #19 Utah this weekend is the first step, but USC has the advantage of closing their season with UCLA and at home vs. Notre Dame -- potential big, late-season wins that could send them shooting up the polls. (Getty Images/Stephen Dunn)
Getty Images/Stephen Dunn
The Mountaineers made their presence known by upending then #4 Baylor last weekend. Their two losses have both come against then top-five competition on the road, at Alabama and at Oklahoma. They've also pulled out some gritty road wins, against a surprisingly good Maryland club and in Lubbock over Texas Tech.
The road ahead is full of tests (at Oklahoma State, vs. #10 TCU, vs. #11 Kansas State), but that's a blessing, not a curse. WVU needs to run the table, and they need every high-profile win they can get along the way. (Getty Images/Justin K. Aller)
Getty Images/Justin K. Aller
The longest of shots, Mizzou still has a possible path to the final four. All of their final five games are winnable, with the toughest two coming at Texas A&M and at home against Arkansas. If Georgia stumbles just once down the stretch and the Tigers run the table convincingly, they'll head to the SEC title game on a six-game winning streak.
Missouri would likely need a convincing win over the SEC West champ to have any chance at all, and would still probably need the PAC-12 and Big 12 champs to have at least two losses. But hey, crazier things have happened. (Getty Images/Rob Foldy)
Getty Images/Rob Foldy
