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Where BYU Can Move Up in the CFP Rankings this Week

On Tuesday, the fourth installment of the College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled. The Cougars, who were ranked no. 14 last week, moved up one spot to no. 13 after a win over Georgia Southern. Although it might be slim, BYU still has an outside shot at a NY6 bowl.

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With only one week remaining in the regular season, BYU will need to move up at least two more spots and maybe three spots to qualify for a NY6 bowl. Therefore, monitoring the teams surrounding BYU in the polls will be a major storyline this weekend.

College Football Playoff Rankings: Week 13

#6 Notre Dame: Notre Dame takes on a very bad Stanford team this weekend. SP+ gives the Irish a 92% chance to win.

#7 Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State hosts in-state rival Oklahoma this weekend. The Cowboys could help BYU with a win over #10 Oklahoma. SP+ gives Oklahoma State a 52% chance to beat Oklahoma.

#8 Baylor: Baylor takes on Texas Tech this weekend. A Texas Tech upset over Baylor could knock the Bears out of NY6 contention. SP+, however, only gives Texas Tech a 22% chance to pull off the upset with an expected final score of 35-22 in favor of Baylor.

#9 Ole Miss: Ole Miss travels to rival Mississippi State on Saturday. An Ole Miss loss would increase BYU's NY6 hopes ONLY if Alabama loses to Georgia and misses the playoff. SP+ predicts a close game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, giving the Rebels a 56% chance to beat their in-state rivals by an expected final score of 31-29.

#10 Oklahoma: See #7 Oklahoma State.

#11 Oregon: Oregon plays Oregon State this weekend. The Ducks have a 70% chance to win according to ESPN FPI. Whether Oregon wins or loses, this game probably won't impact BYU after the dust has settled.

#12 Michigan State: Michigan State hosts Penn State on Saturday. SP+ gives Penn State a 58% chance to beat Michigan State with an expected final score of 26-23. BYU's NY6 hopes would skyrocket with a Penn State win over Michigan State.

#13 BYU: BYU needs to beat USC.

As always, teams that win big games could leapfrog BYU in the rankings.

#14 Wisconsin: Wisconsin travels to Minnesota this weekend. The Badgers have a 66% chance to win according to SP+.

#15 Texas A&M: Texas A&M travels to LSU this weekend. The Aggies have a 79% chance to beat LSU according to SP+.

#16 Iowa: SP+ expects a close game between Iowa and Nebraska this weekend. The Hawkeyes have a 53% chance to win with an expected final score of 23-22.

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