Who’s in? UCLA makes the first cut Heather Dinich explains why she has UCLA in her College Football Playoff bracket after week 1. And what impact out of conference scheduling has on the selection committee. 0 Shares Print There are some big-name programs that are currently ranked and have a great shot at the College Football Playoff — as long as they can overcome nonconference schedules that will raise a red flag with the playoff selection committee. It’s important to remember that come December, if the committee is evaluating conference champions with the same record, the nonconference schedule can be the difference in a No. 4 or No. 5 ranking. Here’s a look at which playoff contenders have cause for concern, ranked by who has the biggest reason to worry: 1. BOISE STATE Toughest nonconference game: at BYU. It wasn’t easy facing former Broncos coach Chris Petersen, but this is the game that could make or break Boise’s playoff hopes. The Cougars are coming off a huge upset win on a Hail Mary against Nebraska and will look to continue the momentum at home. FPI noncon rank: 30 Why the concern: Any team from the Group of 5 has an uphill battle to get into the playoff because of its entire strength of schedule — a debate that has carried over into the new system…
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