With the Florida Gators being ranked 6 by the College Football Playoff, what needs to happen for the Gators to get in the top 4? One thing is for sure, and that is that Florida controls their own destiny. However, they will need a little help to lock in a playoff spot.

What Florida Can Do

Florida has one loss this year and that is to #5 ranked Texas A&M. However, the Gators do have an advantage over the Aggies, and that is the SEC Championship Game. Nothing is set in stone yet as to who will be playing in the SEC championship game. Right now Florida has a lead in the East and Alabama has a commanding lead in the West. The College Football Playoff committee has shown they like to see a conference championship win on a team’s resume. What Florida can control is pretty straight and simple, that is to win out.

The Help They Need

Clemson

Clemson currently sits at 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers do also carry a loss along with Florida. That loss comes from Notre Dame, when Trevor Lawrence had Covid-19. Right now if both Clemson and Notre Dame win on Saturday, they will face each other in the ACC championship game. If Clemson loses that game, they will have 2 losses. If Florida wins out, they will have 1 loss and a couple of impressive wins.

Ohio State

Currently, Ohio State only has played 4 games this season. This is only half of the number of games that Florida has played. If Ohio State suffers another game cancellation they will not be eligible for the Big Ten championship game. Again, the Playoff committee likes to see an extra win after a conference championship. If Ohio State wins out and wins the Big Ten, they will be 7-0. However, if a game gets canceled, the best they can be is 5-0. Are 5 wins enough to be named one of the best 4 teams in the country? If Ohio State only plays 5 games, that basically eliminates them from contention leaving a spot for Florida.

Cincinnati

Cincinnati is ranked lower than Florida at 7. So why does Florida need their help? They really don’t, but it sure would help their chances. The Bearcats are 8-0 in a very competitive American Athletic Conference. They have one regular-season game remaining against Tulsa. They also are almost certainly going to play for a conference title. If they win both of these games, that would put them at 10-0 with a pretty strong resume. If you are Florida, you do not want any extra teams to have a chance of making the playoffs.

What Has To Happen

First, for Florida, they have to beat Tennessee and LSU to wrap up the regular season. Next, you have to go to Atlanta and win an SEC championship, against a tough Alabama team. Then, all you can do is wait and hope. The Gators’ playoff hopes basically go out the window if they do not win out and win the SEC. Florida has had a great season already, nothing would be better than capping it off with a bid to the playoffs.