Two-loss teams in the College Football Playoff: What history says about overcoming second L to make CFP
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Two-loss teams in the College Football Playoff: What history says about overcoming second L to make CFP originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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This week — and for the rest of the season — there are a handful of teams in danger of suffering their second loss.
Among the suspects in Week 4 are No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 10 LSU, No. 16 Louisville, No. 20 Oregon and No. 25 Houston.
But the good news is that in the 12-team CFP era, which dates back to 2024, there have been several two-loss teams that have made the postseason.
Here's a look back at the programs that have shown two losses doesn't always equate a playoff elimination.
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2024 season
No. 9 Tennessee: 10-2
The Vols earned a CFP bid despite finishing with two losses. Tennessee lost on the road 19-14 to an Arkansas team that finished 6-6 on the regular season, which was let's say … less than great.
The Vols' only other loss came at No. 12 Georgia 31-17. Tennessee also had signature wins over the likes of No. 24 NC State as well as a 24-17 win over then-No. 7 Alabama. The Tide finished the regular season 9-3 in head coach Kalen DeBoer's up-and-down first season in Tuscaloosa. Tenensee was still standing on CFP selection day, however, much to the chagrin of many.
No. 8 Ohio State: 10-2
Ohio State made it through the regular season largely unscathed. The Buckeyes fell 32-31 on the road to then-No. 3 Oregon, but that wasn't much to sweat on its own. The Ducks went on the win the Big Ten and earn the No. 1 seed in the CFP, after all.
OSU also lost its Rivalry Week game to Michigan 13-10, but it wasn't enough to keep the Buckeyes out. Ohio State cracked the field rather easily despite the two losses.
No. 12 Clemson: 9-3
The 2024 Tigers were one of the few three-loss teams we've seen earn a surprise College Football Playoff bid. The Tigers made it to the final week of the regular season sitting at 9-2, with a 34-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia and a 33-21 loss to Louisville on its schedule.
During Clemson's Rivalry Week game against South Carolina, the Tigers were ranked 12th overall by the CFP. But the Gamecocks shocked Dabo Swinney, upsetting the Tigers on the road 17-14.
At the time of the loss, Clemson was believed to be knocked out of the CFP entirely. But that same week, then-No. 8 Miami inexplicably lost 42-38 on the road to Syracuse. The result in the ACC standings sent Clemson to the ACC Championship instead. The Tigers beat SMU 34-31, earning the No. 12 seed in the CFP as the ACC champion. Clemson lost 38-24 to No. 5 Texas in the first round.
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2025 season
Last year gave us multiple teams with two or more losses as chaos took hold late in the season.
No. 8 Oklahoma: 10-2
Oklahoma had two losses last season, both coming to eventual playoff teams. The Sooners fell 23-6 to Texas, which ended up making the CFP as a No. 5 seed. The other was to eventual No. 6 seed Ole Miss, to which they lost 34-26.
The Sooners had three wins over CFP ranked teams during the month of November. They defeated No. 14 Tennessee on the road, No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa and No. 22 Missouri at home. The committee gave Oklahoma a No. 8 seed and a home first-round game against Alabama. The strength of schedule propelled OU into the CFP.
No. 11 Tulane: 11-2
In Jon Sumrall's final season at Tulane before taking the Florida job this offseason, his Green Wave team finished the regular season 10-2 and became the only G6 team to crack the playoff field with two losses. Tulane's first loss was to fellow CFP team Ole Miss, falling 45-10 in Oxford. The Green Wave also dropped a regular-season game on the road against UTSA.
Tulane clinched a trip to the AAC Championship Game, beating North Texas 34-21 to earn a bid as a No. 11 seed and slip into the bracket.
No. 10 Miami: 10-2
The Hurricanes failed to qualify for the ACC title game last season due to conference losses to both Louisville and SMU. But due to some wonky ACC tiebreakers that allowed a 7-5 Duke team to win the ACC title game, Miami safely earned a bid to represent the ACC in the CFP with two losses.
No. 9 Alabama: 11-3
This was perhaps the most controversial decision from the committee since expanding to 12 teams in 2024.
Alabama opened the season with a 31-17 loss on the road to Florida State. The Tide rebounded to finish the regular season 10-2, losing 23-21 to then-No. 11 Oklahoma, which also ended up earning a bid. Alabama also notched wins over ranked opponents in Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee.
Alabama qualified for the SEC Championship game. The TIde didn't play well in the 28-7 loss to Georgia in Atlanta, but the committee awarded Alabama for playing in a conference title game with a bid, opting to leave independent Notre Dame out despite its own 10-2 record. The committee was slightly redeemed by the Tide's come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma in the first round.
Who is on the CFP selection committee?
The College Football Playoff selection committee consists of several school athletic directors, former coaches and media members. This year's CFP chairman is Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yuracheck.
The committee also includes Louisiana athletic director Dr. Bryan Maggard, former Auburn and Arkansas head coach Gus Malzahn and former Fresno State and Cal coach Jeff Tedford. It also features Nebraska AD Troy Dannen and former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio.
Also included in this year's committee is Utah AD Mark Harlan, longtime former sports writer Ivan Maisel, Middle Tennessee State AD Chris Massaro, former Arizona State offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, former Oregon State head coach Mike Riley, former Ole Miss tight end Wesley Walls and University of Virginia AD Carla Williams.
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