Boo! It's Halloween, one of the scariest days of the year, and things could get frightening for teams across the country as the race for the College Football Playoff heats up.
Below are 22 teams I think can be categorized as contenders for the College Football Playoff. While more teams are technically alive for one of the 12 CFP spots than listed in this article, the teams with fears listed below are those with the best chances to make the CFP currently.
There are plenty of fears with fitting names like Death Valley, Farmaggedon and more. Here's what could keep these teams and fanbases up at night.
The below teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Alabama | SEC | 6-2
Fear: Death Valley
Alabama's toughest game remaining on its schedule is a road trip to LSU, where the Crimson Tide will play in one of the toughest environments in college football — a night game in Death Valley. Alabama lost at LSU in 2022 during the last game it played there. This time, the Tide enter with two losses, meaning another loss could eliminate them from playoff contention.
Army | American | 7-0
Fear: Notre Dame
One service academy already saw its undefeated season fall to Notre Dame. Could Army be next? The Fighting Irish have won 15 straight games in the series, with the streak extending back to 1965.
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Boise State | Mountain West | 6-1
Fear: Losing a conference game
Boise State is currently ranked No. 15 in the AP poll. While that won't necessarily reflect where the Broncos will rank when the CFP poll comes out, there's a good chance that if Boise State wins out, it'll be in the playoff. The Broncos are currently in a position where they could make the playoffs off merit alone, not needing to be the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. However, a loss could mean Boise State must win its conference title to secure its playoff dreams.
BYU | Big 12 | 8-0
Fear: Losing before the Big 12 title game
BYU is currently undefeated and only plays one game against a team with a record above .500 in the remainder of its season. If BYU wins out, it should get a playoff berth regardless of what happens in the Big 12 championship game. However, a regular-season loss could make the title game a must-win.
Clemson | ACC | 6-1
Fear: Reverting to Week 1 Clemson
34-3. It's a score reflecting a Clemson team that looks nothing like the team currently on a six-game win streak. However, Clemson's loss to Georgia still happened. Clemson won't face a team as talented as Georgia again in the regular season, but if the Tigers don't show up similarly to the season opener, they can be beaten.
Colorado | Big 12 | 6-2
Fear: The offensive line not holding up
Yes, Colorado's offensive line has played better this year than last, and freshman left tackle Jordan Seaton has lived up to the five-star hype. However, the Buffaloes still have allowed the seventh-most sacks in the FBS this year at 26 total.
Of Colorado's remaining opponents, Texas Tech ranks 127th while Oklahoma State and Utah rank 91st in the FBS for sacks. Only Kansas (40th) ranks in the top third of the FBS for sacks. The offensive line won't face a dominant unit as Colorado tries for the Big 12 title, but if it regresses down the stretch, the Buffaloes could be in trouble.
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Georgia | SEC | 6-1
Fear: Missing the SEC championship game
For Georgia to miss the SEC championship game, it would have to lose to rival Florida or ranked opponents Ole Miss (on the road) or Tennessee. With two losses, the Bulldogs would then find themselves in the jumble of other two-loss teams without a conference championship, all trying to get one of the final CFP spots.
Illinois | Big Ten | 6-2
Fear: Michigan losing
Illinois doesn't control its destiny now at 6-2. However, Michigan — a team the Illini beat by two scores — might control Illinois' fate. The Wolverines play Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State, but already have two conference losses and a 5-3 record. If Michigan can win out, it'll knock down teams ranked above Illinois in the Big Ten. If Michigan loses more games, Illinois' best win on its resume loses value.
RANKINGS: See the latest FBS football rankings
Indiana | Big Ten | 8-0
Fear: Kurtis Rourke's thumb
Indiana is undefeated and a win away from reaching 9-0 for the first time in school history. A huge part of Indiana's early success has come from quarterback Kurtis Rourke, but he missed last week against Washington with a thumb injury. While backup quarterback Tayven Jackson played well enough and could do so against a Michigan State team that is 2-3 in conference play, a backup quarterback may not get the job done against traditional Big Ten powers Michigan and Ohio State that remain on the schedule. The Hoosiers will need Rourke back for its final playoff push.
Iowa State | Big 12 | 7-0
Fear: Run defense
Iowa State has the best pass defense in the Big 12 with the worst run defense, allowing over 170 rushing yards per game. That should be a scary sign for a Cyclone team with a schedule that features Kansas and Kansas State — two of the top-three rushing offenses in the conference.
Kansas State | Big 12 | 7-1
Fear: Farmaggedon
The Iowa State-Kansas State football rivalry is referred to as Farmaggeddon, a fitting title for this Halloween-themed article. Kansas State — if it wins out — will have one loss entering the season finale against the Cyclones, making Farmaggedon a potential playoff elimination game. The Wildcats will have to play on the road at Iowa State, increasing the challenge.
Louisiana | Sun Belt | 6-1
Fear: The committee's eyes for Tulane
On Sept. 21, Louisiana lost to Tulane, 41-33. That loss could be the determining factor in who gets the fifth automatic playoff bid that goes to the conference champions. If Tulane wins the AAC and Louisiana wins the Sun Belt, the Ragin' Cajuns could be left on the outskirts of the playoffs.
LSU | SEC | 6-2
Fear: Mobile quarterbacks
LSU let Texas A&M freshman Marcel Reed beat it by only throwing two passes while rushing for three touchdowns. That could be an ominous foreshadowing of how mobile quarterbacks will feast on LSU's defense. Alabama's Jalen Milroe (who ran for four touchdowns against LSU last year), Florida's DJ Lagway and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia are all dual-threat quarterbacks left to face on the Tigers' schedule.
Miami (Fla.) | ACC | 8-0
Fear: A loss
Yes, Miami's biggest fear should be losing a game. It doesn't matter if it's in the regular season or the ACC title game, a loss could risk Miami missing the playoffs or being on the bubble. Why is that? Well, the Hurricanes haven't beaten a ranked opponent, have the 47th-best strength of schedule and only the 53rd-best remaining strength of schedule. Its resume can't risk any loss.
Missouri | SEC | 6-2
Fear: Five two-loss SEC teams
Missouri is one of eight SEC teams with two or fewer losses. The Tigers might be in the worst position out of all of them. Missouri's lone ranked win game over Boston College, which now has four losses, and it likely won't play another ranked team this year. When the playoff committee is selecting at-large teams, Missouri's resume might be one of the first of SEC teams to be thrown out.
Navy | American | 6-1
Fear: Army losing to Notre Dame
Navy lost to Notre Dame so now the Midshipmen have to root for their service academy rival Army to do what it could not, beat the Fighting Irish. That loss could knock Notre Dame from playoff contention, opening up a spot for Navy. Navy will then have to hope Army wins out and is undefeated in the AAC title game, where the Midshipmen enter with one loss. If Navy knocks off an undefeated Army to win a conference title, it could be enough for an automatic playoff bid.
Notre Dame | Independent | 7-1
Fear: Losing
Notre Dame doesn't have the benefit of a conference championship game and is only in at-large contention for a playoff spot. While Notre Dame's win over Texas A&M is aging like fine wine, its loss at home to Northern Illinois is aging like sour grapes. That loss will be heavily scrutinized if Notre Dame is amidst a plethora of two-loss at-large candidates, so it's best if the Fighting Irish win out.
Ohio State | Big Ten | 6-1
Fear: Ryan Day in big games
After squeaking by Nebraska, just one week after losing to Oregon, one can wonder if the 2024 Buckeyes will be ready for the big moments remaining this season.
A closer look at head coach Ryan Day's performance shows that he's 8-8 against top-10 opponents and 2-7 against top-five opponents, with his last top-five win not coming since Sept. 3, 2022. Oh, and he hasn't beaten Michigan since 2019. That's not living up to the big-game expectations at Ohio State.
Ole Miss | SEC | 6-2
Fear: A poor passing day
Jaxson Dart ranks third nationally in passing yards and passer rating and eighth in completion percentage, but Ole Miss' two losses tell a different story. Dart only completed 57 percent of his passes for one touchdown and an interception in a loss to LSU. He only completed 66 percent of his passes (below his 70 percent average) for 261 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky.
Ole Miss lost both games by three points. With the Rebels in a position where they likely need to win out, another slow passing day could mark the end of Ole Miss' playoff hopes.
Oregon | Big Ten | 8-0
Fear: Letting one slip
Oregon will be the better team every time it steps on the field during the remainder of the season. However, anything can happen in the game of football, especially if the Ducks aren't locked in week after week. Remember, Oregon only beat FCS school Idaho by 10 points and Boise State by three points. The Ducks aren't untouchable.
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Penn State | Big Ten | 7-0
Fear: The Boogeyman — I mean the Buckeyes
Boogeyman and Buckeyes both start with the letter B. That's not the only thing the two will have in common this Halloweekend. The Buckeyes have been the Boogeyman for Penn State for most of PSU's tenure in the Big Ten, with Ohio State leading the series 22-8 since 1993. More recently, Ohio State has won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including seven straight. The only win Penn State has had in 2016, and that game needed a miraculous blocked field goal from Marcus Allen to save the day.
Pittsburgh | ACC | 7-0
Fear: The health of Eli Holstein
Pittsburgh is off to its best start since quarterback Dan Marino donned the uniform, but now the Panthers may be without their current starting quarterback Eli Holstein. Holstein will play against SMU after suffering an injury against Syracuse, but a banged-up quarterback is always worrisome. With SMU and Clemson still on the schedule, the Panthers will need Holstein to be healthy down the stretch.
SMU | ACC | 7-1
Fear: Blitzburgh
SMU plays undefeated Pitt this weekend and while the game is in Dallas, Blitzburgh should be the biggest fear. If SMU loses this weekend, it'll be on the outside of the playoff bubble with two losses. On the field, SMU faces a Pitt team that simulates pressure and creates turnovers as shown by a five-interception game when the Panthers last played. With quarterback Kevin Jennings dealing with a leg injury, that pressure could impact the game.
Tennessee | SEC | 6-1
Fear: Arkansas and Alabama losing their luster
Tennessee lost to Arkansas by five points and beat Alabama by a touchdown. However, Arkansas could lose its standing as a quality loss and Alabama could easily fall from playoff consideration in November. That means if Tennessee loses to Georgia, it might not have a standout win while having a bad loss. That would hurt the playoff resume for the Vols.
Texas | SEC | 7-1
Fear: The 12th man
2011. That was the last time Texas and Texas A&M played each other. Now, Texas will visit Texas A&M in the season finale. Kyle Field has hit as loud as 126 decibels and in the return of this rivalry game, it could be louder — especially with an SEC title game berth at stake.
Texas A&M | SEC | 7-1
Fear: The forward pass
Texas A&M has the second-worst pass defense in the SEC by yardage. The Aggies also won a game where the quarterback who replaced the starter only completed two passes. If Texas A&M can't stop the pass while also not being able to move the ball through the air, it could get spooky in College Station.
Tulane | AAC | 6-2
Fear: Not controlling its destiny
Tulane already has two losses and its only hope of making the playoffs is by winning the American. Even then, the Green Wave might still be waving goodbye to the playoffs faster than you'd wave goodbye to a trick-or-treater with a bad costume. Tulane will need Boise State to lose for any shot at a playoff berth.
Washington State | Pac-12 | 7-1
Fear: Not having a conference championship
Sometimes we have to face our fears. Washington State will have to do just that without a Pac-12 championship game this year. The Cougars only have one loss, but only rank No. 22 in the AP poll. Washington State doesn't have a ranked win, and likely won't get one during the rest of the season. The Cougars have the 89th-best strength of schedule and without a conference championship game, a one-loss Wazzu might not make it into the playoffs even if Boise State falters down the stretch.
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