When the College Football Playoff selection committee unveils its final rankings in December and the four-team playoff field is set, there’s a good chance that this Saturday plays a key role in the proceedings.
Week 5 brings about two games involving teams ranked in the Associated Press top 10: No. 8 Notre Dame hosts No. 7 Stanford in South Bend, while over in Happy Valley, No. 4 Ohio State travels to take on No. 9 Penn State.
Which of those four teams has the best shot at making the College Football Playoff?
Ohio State is a four-point favorite according to oddsmakers, but ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Nittany Lions the slight edge on Saturday, giving Penn State a 53.6 percent chance to win.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, is a 4.5-point favorite and FPI agrees, giving the Fighting Irish a 67.2 percent chance of victory over the Cardinal.
FPI gives Ohio State the best chance of these four teams to win the remainder of their games — which would essentially guarantee a playoff spot — giving the Buckeyes a 13.8 percent chance to do so. Notre Dame has a 13.4 percent chance to win out, according to FPI, while Penn State (9.3) and Stanford (1.9) are less likely to do so according to the metrics.
A win will be a huge resume builder for any of the teams involved. Which one of these four is most likely to be left standing when the dust settles in December?
Which team playing in a top-10 matchup Saturday has the best chance to make the CFP?
Let us know in the @CapitalOne Fan Vote!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 24, 2018