As the college football season gets closer to December only time will tell what four teams will make it to the first ever college football playoffs. It’s been tough thinking about such a thing in Morgantown. The Mountaineers had all the momentum they needed heading into the TCU game and it slipped away due to some very conservative play calling in the fourth quarter. TCU shouldn’t have even been in the game as Trevone Boykin completed only 12 of 30 passes thrown. West Virginia should’ve won by two scores but you can’t turn the ball over five times and expect to beat the 7th ranked team in the nation. It just doesn’t happen that way. However, it was possible that QB Clint Trickett got hurt on the blown face mask call the refs missed in the second half of the game. He never seemed the same after that play.

Unfortunately, throughout my five years of being a student at WVU, that TCU game was the most devastating loss I ever witnessed at Milan Puskar Stadium. It didn’t shock me the next week when the Mountaineers laid an egg in Austin. Losing the way they did against TCU can kill a team’s momentum at all cost and I think all of Morgantown knew that walking out of the stadium on that cold November night. Most people didn’t expect WVU to even get six wins this season. A lot of critics had them finishing 5-7 at best. If they find a way to beat Kansas State and knock off Iowa State on the road they will finish the regular season 8-4 which would be considered a success compared to last season. If the Mountaineers can finish the regular season 8-4, I’ll be happy despite that horrible TCU loss.

It’s hard to predict what four teams will make it to the playoffs as it changes every week. Florida State has showed me that they deserve to be one of the final four teams in as long as they stay undefeated. I thought for a second during the Louisville game that their winning streak would come to an end that night but they surpassed and knocking off Miami made me believe that FSU deserves to go to the dance as long as they stay perfect.

As long as Alabama beats Auburn in the Iron Bowl they should have no problem clinching a playoff seed. Knocking off Mississippi State was huge for the Crimson Tide and they could very much win it all this year if they keep playing like they have been and get Amari Cooper the ball.

Oregon is in the clear to get in unless Arizona State or USC gives them a run for their money in the Pac-12 championship game. The Ducks are playing excellent football and Marcus Mariotta is playing lights out. Oregon has already clinched the Pac-12 North Division

I still think Mississippi State can get in despite losing to Alabama. They are still a very dangerous team that most teams can’t beat this year. They have a high powered offense and a shutdown defense. Don’t count them out just yet.