Week 3 CFP Eliminator: Playoff Field Narrows as Syracuse and Stanford Exit Contention
TL;DR
No CFP playoff locks exist after Week 3, with 97 teams (about 70% of FBS) still alive and 41 eliminated. Notable moves include Syracuse and Stanford dropping out of CFP contention; the ACC still features several contenders (Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Pitt, Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest) while Georgia Tech is out. The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC remain crowded with multiple teams in the running, Notre Dame remains as the lone Independent in the mix, and the Group of 5 landscape (including SMU) continues to vie for its automatic berth.
- College Football Playoff Eliminator: Which Teams Are Out or Alive for a Berth After Week 3 Sports Illustrated
- College Football Playoff 2026: Bubble Watch after Week 3 ESPN
- College Football Playoff bracket projections: SEC could be in position to stack the field The New York Times
- CFP Bracketology: Week 3 Black Shoe Diaries
- College football winners and losers: Losses by LSU and Texas A&M make Week 4 an already pivotal Saturday in the playoff race Yahoo Sports
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