Lanes to the College Football Playoff are closing fast, and the number of Power Four contenders with a realistic path to the 12-team bracket is thinning out. With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, opportunities to secure a spot are slipping away. For a handful of programs that have essentially locked up their résumés -- like Georgia , Indiana , Ohio State , Ole Miss , Texas A&M and Texas Tech -- it's all about earning the first-round bye.

For the next tier of teams, the margin for error is razor-thin. A huge showdown between USC and Oregon this Saturday -- live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ -- could make or break CFP hopes for both programs. Meanwhile, Oklahoma beating Alabama this past weekend has intensified the scramble for the SEC's like

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