College Football Playoff Eliminator After Week 6: More Than Half of All Teams Out of the Running

We’ve officially crossed the threshold after Week 6: There are now more teams eliminated from the College Football Playoff race than there are still alive to make the postseason tournament. It was a particularly tough weekend in the ACC and Big 12, which saw a combined six teams falter from the chase. The Group of 6 bid can generously be described as limited with just a dozen programs really able to claim they have a shot at it as we cross the midway mark of the season.

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With all that in mind, it’s time to examine just what the impact of all those results from the past weekend will have by entering The Eliminator-where we’re cutting teams and seeing which ones still have (an often mathematical) chance to play for the national title. Here’s where the field stands after Week 6.

College Football Playoff field after Week 6

Playoff locks

Zero teams (0% of the bracket)

Alive for a CFP bid

55 teams, 40% of FBS

• ACC (9)
• Big 12 (10)
• Big Ten (11)
• SEC (12)
• Independent (1)
• American (4)
• Conference USA (0)
• MAC (1)
• Mountain West (3)
• Pac-12 (2)
• Sun Belt (2)

Teams eliminated after Week 6

• Appalachian State
• Florida State
• Fresno State
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• NC State
• Penn State
• South Florida
• Texas A&M
• Toledo
• Tulane
• Tulsa
• UCF
• UMass
• Vanderbilt
• Washington
• West Virginia

Out of the playoff chase

83 teams, 60% of FBS

• ACC (8)
• Big 12 (6)
• Big Ten (7)
• SEC (4)
• Independent (1)
• American (10)
• Conference USA (10)
• MAC (12)
• Mountain West (7)
• Pac-12 (6)
• Sun Belt (12)

ACC

Alive: Clemson, Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, SMU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

The ACC talked quite a bit in the preseason about getting multiple teams into the CFP, but this is increasingly looking like a one-bid league following a weekend where a number of programs suffered inexplicable losses on the road. Ten teams do have one or fewer losses in conference play so there are technically a ton of programs still alive for a bid, but this is increasingly looking like it’s Miami, plucky Wake Forest right behind the Canes and then a middle class which is deep but perhaps not all that great.

Eliminated: Florida State, NC State

There was a brief moment early in Florida State’s loss to Louisville where you started to talk yourself into the Seminoles. It didn’t take long for such thoughts to dissipate, however, as the team took its third loss of the season and second in league play. A more pressing concern might be the head coach’s job status, something which might also be top of mind at NC State after it allowed a Tobacco Road rival to run off 31 unanswered points.

Out: Boston College, California, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Stanford, Syracuse

Big 12

Alive: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Utah

There are five ranked teams in the Big 12 and some good arguments that both Baylor and Arizona should be included in that group. Still, the breadth of contenders in the league would go a long way to potentially producing multiple CFP teams if BYU can notch a massive nonconference win that is largely lacking at the moment.

Eliminated: Iowa State, Kansas, UCF, West Virginia

It was only a matter of time before this quartet joined the ranks of the eliminated with a third loss of the season, which happened this weekend as they picked up some difficult to overcome tiebreaker losses in league play at the same time. Each program, even the plucky Cyclones, are capable of beating anybody on a given weekend in Big 12 play, but attention can now focus on making a bowl game instead of holding out any faint hope of a miracle CFP run.

Out: Colorado, TCU

Big Ten

Alive: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Wisconsin

Oregon began the season as one of the favorites to win the national title but now sits there with two losses before mid-October to seriously threaten its chances of even making the CFP. The Ducks will pretty much need to run the table, including beating Ohio State on the road, because there are simply not enough opportunities to rack up Top 25 wins like some of their competitors for an at-large spot. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, of course, but we’ll need to see much more from Dan Lanning’s team after another sloppy loss on Saturday to UCLA.

Eliminated: Penn State, Washington

Matt Campbell should be given some grace taking over a Penn State roster which was hollowed out quite a bit this offseason, but not sure many saw the Nittany Lions sitting at 3–3 after losing to USC this weekend to force a dark-horse CFP pick to fully exit the playoff conversation. Washington shares the same record but might be even more disappointing, especially in light of the way it made Iowa look like an Air Raid team on Friday night.

Out: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers

SEC

Alive: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas

The SEC is down to just one undefeated team in league play after Kirby Smart finally vanquished some demons in Tuscaloosa, Ala., but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that the victory over Alabama was just the first of a few meetings in 2026. Eight other teams have just one loss in league play as a potential threat to make it to Atlanta as well, including a surprising Oklahoma team after it took advantage of Texas imploding.

Eliminated: Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

You can tell things are going smoothly in Aggieland when coach Mike Elko is calling out local team sites in what might be the most memorable of his three news conferences following a losing effort this season. Faltering at Missouri isn’t the worst thing in the world for A&M, but it will serve as the official end to its bid to return to the CFP with a trip to Atlanta out of the cards and any at-large hopes contingent on running the table (and getting lots of help elsewhere). Vandy didn’t harbor quite the same playoff hopes coming into the season but can finally turn attention to making a bowl game after looking like a JV team at times against Ole Miss on Saturday.

Out: Arkansas, South Carolina

Independents

Alive: Notre Dame

The warm-up phase of the Irish schedule is now complete after thumping Stanford at home, and Marcus Freeman can finally meet a foe on his team’s level this weekend at BYU. Win in Provo, Utah, and what amounts to a two-game season for Notre Dame’s playoff hopes will be halfway done.

Eliminated: None

Out: UConn

American

Alive: Florida Atlantic, Memphis, North Texas, UTSA

The American made big news on Monday by announcing James Madison was joining the conference. The future addition will certainly add some intrigue to what is already a pretty compelling race to finish atop the standings. Memphis and UTSA have to be considered the two favorites to emerge as the league’s best Group of 6 hopeful, but something says there will be a few more twists and turns left the deeper we get into conference play.

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Eliminated: South Florida, Tulane, Tulsa

Brian Hartline learned a very valuable lesson this week as a first-time head coach: Don’t poke the bear. In his case, the bear was UTSA and calling out the Alamodome right ahead of a trip to San Antonio where his opponents relished in getting a win that also doubled as knocking the Bulls out of the CFP race. The same is true of last year’s champion Tulane fully on the rebuilding train after its third overall loss of 2026, while Tulsa seems to have spoiled that massive win over Oklahoma State by going 0–2 to start league play.

Out: Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Navy, Rice, Temple, UAB

Conference USA

Alive: None

Out: Delaware, Florida International, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, Western Kentucky

MAC

Alive: Western Michigan

The Broncos remain a viable CFP candidate as long as they don’t lose again and looked much more capable with a big win over Kent State on Saturday. The next two games are the team’s trickiest in MAC play, however, and involve road trips to rival Central Michigan and Toledo in a season-defining stretch.

Eliminated: Toledo, UMass

Out: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Sacramento State

Mountain West

Alive: Air Force, New Mexico, North Dakota State

The Bison’s offense failing to get going in Las Vegas during a loss to UNLV isn’t going to completely eliminate the program from the fringes of the CFP discussion but it does likely prevent an ESPN College GameDay appearance at fellow MWC contender New Mexico.

Eliminated: None

Out: Hawai‘i, Nevada, Northern Illinois, San José State, UNLV, UTEP, Wyoming

Pac-12

Alive: Boise State, Oregon State

Go ahead and circle the date now: Nov. 14, when the original Pac-12 stalwart Beavers head to the blue turf to face the new league favorite. There’s still a long way to go before then but that easily looks like a title game preview that could also be when Boise State locks up the Group of 6 bid.

Eliminated: Fresno State

A valiant effort by the Bulldogs to threaten an upset against Boise State at home before the latter made enough plays at the end of the fourth quarter. Given the conference has an intriguing flex week at the end of the season, perhaps Fresno State will have one more shot to avenge their second loss of the season.

Out: Colorado State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, Washington State

Sun Belt

Alive: Georgia State, James Madison

It’s going to be interesting to see just how much campaigning the Sun Belt is going to do for James Madison after its announced departure, but it remains a serious contender for a return to the playoff after notching its first-ever win in Statesboro, Ga., on Saturday thanks to some late dramatics. Up next is a very crucial game against a plucky Georgia State team that could determine who makes the conference title game.

Eliminated: Appalachian State, Louisiana

The conditions weren’t great for the Mountaineers against Old Dominion, but that doesn’t explain giving up a safety and mustering only five completions for 72 yards on offense in a loss that hampers their division hopes. The Ragin’ Cajuns also can’t believe they wound up among the ranks of the eliminated after allowing 19 fourth-quarter points to an in-state rival but alas, that’s exactly what transpired for a team which now needs some help to win the West Division.

Out: Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Football Playoff Eliminator After Week 6: More Than Half of All Teams Out of the Running.

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This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM.