College Football Playoff: Projected Top 4 after Week 8

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Let’s take a look at the College Football Playoff projections after the eighth week the 2016 season.

It’s hard to believe that we are just a little over a month away from finding out who will participate in the third-annual College Football Playoff. The national contenders are starting to stand out more and more each week while the preseason pretenders are fading into nothingness as we speak.

Teams like Notre Dame, Michigan State, Oregon and Stanford have all struggled mightily this season and the once-promising 2016 campaigns for each program have turned into nightmares.

However, there are some programs on the rise even after stumbling out of the gates. Last year, Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff but started this season with a 1-2 record. After four consecutive wins and an unbeaten record in conference play, there will be talk of whether or not they deserve a shot at the playoff with two losses.

We did have a top-four team fall this week to an unranked opponent, shaking up our Week 9 College Football Playoff projections. Ohio State couldn’t hold a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against Penn State, choking it away and potentially costing the Buckeyes a title for the second straight year.

No one should be surprised that Alabama just keeps on rolling. The Crimson Tide hosted No. 6 Texas A&M this week and recorded their fifth win against a ranked opponent and fifth straight victory by at least 19 points. This team is on a roll and there might not be a soul who follows college football who would bet against them.

So with that, let’s take a look at the four college football teams who I project would be the College Football Playoff participants after Week 8.

Oct 22, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis (8) gets a hug from offensive lineman Trey Adams (72) after Pettis scored on a 41-yard touchdown catch against the Oregon State Beavers during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Huskies

7-0, Last week: NR

Washington is looking more and more like an actual national title contender by the week. The Huskies destroyed yet another Pac-12 opponent and in a conference which every preseason contender has since disappointed, they’ve risen to the top.

With an average win margin of 29.5 in conference play, the Huskies are looking to remain hot this week as they take on No. 17 Utah on the road which is probably they’re last true test of the season. Sure, teams like USC, Washington State and Cal loom, but Washington will be heavily favored in each of those games.

Taking down Oregon State on Saturday wasn’t a surprise, but the fact that it ended up being just 41-17 was kind of shocking. Washington had a 31-0 lead at halftime and looked to be running away with the game, but the Beavers got on the scoreboard and held the Huskies in check for most of the second half.

Jake Browning continues to be one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and a top-five Heisman contender. He did have his lowest completion rate of the year, but he finished with 291 yards and three touchdowns and has 26 touchdowns and just two interceptions on the season.

Watch out for these Huskies because they definitely bite.

Oct 22, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Karan Higdon (22) celebrates his touchdown in the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 41-8. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan Wolverines

7-0, Last week: 4

You might be asking why I have the Michigan Wolverines at No. 3 instead of No. 2, but it’s because I think the Clemson Tigers have had a tougher schedule to this point. It’s great that the Wolverines blow out every inferior team in their path, but one contest against a ranked opponent hasn’t really proven much.

Heck, Michigan has only been on the road one time in seven games. That’s incredible for a team that is ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll. The College Football Playoff committee takes into consideration the strength of schedule along with margin of victory.

Michigan does have one of the widest margins of victory against any team in the country, though. The Wolverines have beaten up on teams like Illinois, Rutgers, Penn State, Central Florida and Hawaii, but the toughest stretch of the schedule is still on its way.

Jim Harbaugh has done a fantastic job with this program and he’s turned things around quicker than any coach in recent memory, but he has a tough game against a surprisingly mediocre Michigan State team this week and in a few weeks, Ohio State.

If Michigan can finish the regular season without a loss, there’s a good chance they will be either No. 1 or, at worst, No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Oct 15, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Artavis Scott (3) reacts after scoring a touchdown in overtime against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson Tigers

7-0, Last week: 3

Clemson had a much-needed bye in Week 8 after a disappointing performance against N.C. State. The Tigers, ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll at the time, needed overtime to beat the Wolfpack at home. Clemson was a touchdown away from kissing its playoff hopes goodbye with a tough home defeat to an unranked opponent.

Time to regroup, though. Clemson remains ahead of Michigan just because I believe it shouldn’t move down after a scare on its home turf just like the Wolverines didn’t drop after nearly losing in Ann Arbor to Colorado.

Near-upsets happen all the time with elite teams, and that’s what they get for always having a huge target on their backs and getting inferior foes’ best shots.

Deshaun Watson saved the day for the Tigers and passed for 378 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and a rushing score. He was responsible for each Clemson touchdown and can be thanked for clutch play when the rest of the team was overlooking the Wolfpack.

N.C. State was definitely a trap game before a bye and two weeks ahead of the huge Florida State game. Now, it’s time to focus on the Seminoles.

Oct 22, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Tim Williams (56) celebrates his sack of Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight (8) during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide

8-0, Last week: 1

Can anyone beat Alabama? Through eight games, the answer is clearly ‘no’ — at least right now. The Crimson Tide have been blowing out SEC opponents and non-conference opponents this season and this is all the season after they lost Jacob Coker to graduation and Derrick Henry to the NFL.

This program doesn’t rebuild under Nick Saban, though, it reloads.

Alabama has wiped the floor with its opponents since a five-point road win against Ole Miss. That scare has seemed to motivate the Crimson Tide as they don’t want to be in a situation in which they need to come back in order to win.

In fact, since that victory, the Tide beat Kent State by 48, Kentucky by 28, No. 16 Arkansas by 19, No. 9 Tennessee by 39 and now No. 6 Texas A&M by 19 points. There have been no single-digit games this season for Alabama outside of the Ole Miss game.

Jalen Hurts will only get better in the passing game as the freshman quarterback threw a couple of picks against the Aggies, but ultimately put that behind him to finish with three scores and nearly 260 yards of total offense.

Alabama is the most complete team in the nation and it will be the national champs until someone is able to knock the Crimson Tide off.