Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer 9d

Breaking down College Football Playoff, conference races entering Week 12

College Football, Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, Georgia Bulldogs, Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, Miami Hurricanes, SMU Mustangs, Clemson Tigers, BYU Cougars, Colorado Buffaloes, Kansas State Wildcats, Boise State Broncos, Army Black Knights, Tulane Green Wave

Three weeks remain in college football's regular season, and things continue to feel as delightfully messy as ever. The SEC could end up with anywhere from three to five teams in the College Football Playoff (though the CFP committee's most recent rankings suggest three or four is more likely than five). The ACC race got a little messier with Miami's fatal flaw costing it a game in Atlanta. BYU's insistence on winning ridiculously dramatic games has kept a bit of a lid on potential chaos in the Big 12, but the Cougars still have quite a bit of work to do to win the conference, score a CFP bid or both. And Army might still hold the key to some genuinely chaotic scenarios, at least if the CFP committee learns to respect what the troops have done on the field at some point.

The second CFP rankings gave us quite a few "Wait, what?" moments, so let's again walk through what stands out from the rankings and who is in the best shape for each conference race. There's more to track than ever, and we're having quite a bit of fun doing so.

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CFP picture
SEC | Big Ten
ACC | Big 12
Group of 5

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