College Football Playoff: 22 teams still have a chance to take the field

The fourth edition of theCollege Football PlayoffThe committee rankings will be announced on Tuesday evening.

Before we can see how the people who make up the group of 12 feel about the teams, we have to ask which programs are still in the hunt. It's quite a bit more than would be alive at this point in the season during the four-team era.

Last week there were still 22 teams alive. This week there are 22. Although it has been a chaotic week, teams like Alabama and Ole Miss are still hanging on by a thread in the CFP race. Here's a full inventory of the teams still alive to compete for the national championship.

Big Ten

Oregon: Oregon had a bye week this week, but the Ducks are 11-0 heading into the Washington game this week. Oregon has essentially already clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff. The only question left is whether it will win the Big Ten.

Indiana: IndianaThe first no, only real test of the season came at Ohio State on Saturday and the Hoosiers were blown out. That would otherwise have been a potential death blow to Indiana's CFP chances, but the Hoosiers got some help in the form of losses to Ole Miss and Alabama. It should make the Playoff if Indiana finishes 11-1 this season.

Penn State: Penn Statecame in a closer-than-expected game against Penn State, but a late fake punt helped the Nittany Lions survive and move to 10-1. Penn State has a home game against Maryland on Saturday. It is comfortable in the field of twelve teams.

State of Ohio: State of Ohiois 10-1 and has two wins over top five opponents on his resume. The nation's only loss is a one-point loss to Oregon. The Buckeyes could lose to Michigan on Saturday and still feel safe getting into the Playoff. It looks like we'll get a rematch between Ohio State and Oregon in the Big Ten title game. Funnily enough, the loser can end up at number 5 and have an easier path to the CFP semifinals.

SEC

Texas A&M:Texas A&M must be feeling down after losing to Auburn in four overtimes on Saturday night. The good news? The Aggies host Texas this weekend in what should be the atmosphere of the season. If they find a way to beat Texas, they will punch their ticket to the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. Texas A&M manages its own CFP designation.

Georgia:Georgiawas one of the biggest beneficiaries of the SEC chaos on Saturday as it paved the way for Georgia to play in the SEC Championship Game. If Georgia wins in Atlanta, it will likely be the No. 2 seed in the CFP and get a first-round bye. There is a game against Georgia Tech this weekend, but it is done in SEC play.

Texas:AlthoughTexasThe Longhorns were handily defeated the only time they played another Playoff contender this year, and the Longhorns have eliminated virtually everyone on their schedule. They played a closer-than-expected game against Kentucky last weekend, but they still pulled away and won comfortably. Texas is probably the favorite to win the SEC right now, but the game at Texas A&M in the regular season finale will tell us everything we need to know. Even with a loss to Texas A&M, Texas has a good chance of still making it to the CFP.

Tennessee: Tennessee It felt like this time a week ago it was going to be tough to get into the Playoff. But when Ole Miss and Alabama lost, the Volunteers came back into the picture. Tennessee has a tough game against Vanderbilt this weekend. If it wins, it will finish 10-2 this season and be firmly in the 12-team field.

Alabama: Alabama went to Oklahoma on Saturday night and failed to score a touchdown in a 24-3 loss to the Sooners. While it would probably be good to leave the Crimson Tide off this list entirely, are we 100 percent sure they're done? Are we 100 percent sure that Alabama can't find a way to sneak back into this with a win over Georgia? Would a 9-3 Alabama be chosen over a two-loss ACC team? Probably not, but it's not out of the question. I want to cross the Crimson Tide off the list. I just can't do it.

Ole ma'am: Ole ma'am went to Florida and lost Saturday, torpedoing all the Rebels' momentum. It looked like Ole Miss was ready to make a run in January, but now the Rebels are on the outside looking in. Like Alabama, Ole Miss should probably be off this list after losing to the Gators, but it devastated Georgia in Oxford. It's just impossible to completely eliminate a 9-3 SEC team with a blowout win over Georgia right now.

Big 12

BYU:The Cougars started the year 9-0 with wins over SMU and Kansas State. They found ways to win close games in the Big 12. But now BYU has lost two games and needs some help to get into the Big 12 Championship Game. BYU faces Houston this weekend with a chance to still reach the conference title game, so it can't be eliminated yet.

State of Iowa: Iowa States' two-game losing streak has now turned into a two-game winning streak and the Cyclones have fought their way back into the Big 12 and CFP pictures. Although the Cyclones have been forgotten by many, they are still alive and well in this cause.

Colorado:A week ago it really felt like thisColorado would make the Playoff. But the Buffaloes went to Kansas City this weekend and couldn't stop Kansas, losing to the Jayhawks in pretty convincing fashion. Deion Sanders' team has an uphill battle when it comes to getting into the Big 12 title game. It needs some help. The chances of that happening are slim, but the Buffaloes aren't technically dead yet.

State of Arizona:There was a point in this season when Arizona State was unfairly removed from this list. Imagine being stupid enough to make that mistake. Luckily, I fixed that problem two weeks ago and the Sun Devils have become the most popular team in America. With a win over BYU on Saturday, Arizona State moved into the Big 12 race. The Sun Devils could be the fourth seed in the CFP.

ACC

Miami: Miamiwas cruising this season. Then it lost to Georgia Tech three weeks ago. Funny enough, Pittsburgh lost to Virginia later that night. So in two television windows, Miami went from the CFP to the favorite to win the ACC again. Miami has been through a wide range of emotions, but the Hurricanes, currently holding a tiebreaker over Clemson, will still head to Charlotte when they beat Syracuse on Saturday.

SMU:In his first year at the ACC, SMU leads the way at the end of November. The Mustangs have yet to lose a game in ACC play. Their only loss this season is BYU, which is still not a bad loss. SMU passed Virginia this weekend and now only Cal remains on the schedule. Things are looking pretty good for a matchup between SMU and Miami in the ACC title game. If SMU wins the ACC, it's in the College Football Playoff. If it loses, it can still get in.

Clemson:The Tigers have two losses, but only one is in ACC play. Clemson defeated The Citadel on Saturday, which had no impact on the Tigers lurking in the ACC race. Unfortunately for Clemson, it needs help to make it to the ACC Championship Game. Stranger things have happened, but the Tigers cannot control their own destiny in the conference or the Playoff race. However, they are not completely dead.

Independent

Our Lady:Notre Dame continued to cruise all weekend with a blowout win over Army, a team that entered the weekend ranked in the CFP Poll. Notre Dame has now won nine in a row. Notre Dame has also been defeatedTexas A&Mthis year so it could end the season with wins over the Aggies andArmy. Notre Dame has a game at USC this weekend. If it wins, the Irish are in the Playoff.

Group of 5

Boise State:Running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown in Boise States' 17-13 win over Wyoming on Saturday. The Broncos' only blemish on their resume is a last-second loss at Oregon early in the season.Boise Stateis the clear leader from the Group of 5 to clinch the Playoff spot. It just has to keep winning.

UNLV:UNLV got a lot of help in its CFP quest when Fresno State defeated Colorado State on Saturday night. UNLVwas one of the interesting stories of the season, but two heartbreaking losses on Friday night to Syracuse and Boise State have knocked the Rebels out of the spotlight. But if UNLV takes the lead and beats Boise State in the Mountain West Championship Game in Boise, there is a very good chance they will be the top-ranked champions of the Group of 5 at the end of the year. Even with two defeats.

Army:Army played Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium on Saturday and was blown off the field. However, the Black Knights still remain undefeated in American Athletic Conference play and have a chance to become Group of 5 champions with one loss. The chance of Army making the Playoff seems slim at this point, but it hasn't technically been eliminated.

Tulan:You may not be paying attention to itTulanafter losing games toState of KansasAndOklahomabefore reaching conference play. However, the Wave have won eight straight games and are undefeated in AAC play. Like the Army and Navy, Tulane would need help with some strange losses in the Mountain West. But it's still alive.