CFP Bubble Watch: Who's in, who's out, who has work to do after Week 8

"Last year, in the inaugural season of the 12-team College Football Playoff, eight of the teams that qualified had two losses. Five of the seven at-large teams had two losses, and three of the five conference champions had at least two losses. Keep that in mind as more contenders fall each week and the playoff picture changes -- this system is more forgiving."

"The Commodores probably have more work to do in the selection committee meeting room than with the AP Poll voters. As good as the win against LSU was, it was Vandy's first win against a Power 4 opponent with a winning record. Both Virginia Tech and South Carolina are sub-.500 teams right now, and wins against FCS Charleston Southern, a 1-6 Sun Belt team in Georgia State and a three-loss Utah State team aren't enough to make the CFP."

The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff included eight qualifying teams with two losses, illustrating the expanded format's greater tolerance for imperfect records. Five of seven at-large teams and three of five conference champions entered the playoff with at least two losses, making resumes more fluid as contenders fall each week. Teams are tiered into Would be in, On the cusp, Work to do, Would be out, and Out categories to reflect likely committee behavior. A hypothetical top-12 projection mirrors what a committee ranking might look like today. Vanderbilt's résumé requires more quality wins despite the LSU victory.

Read at ESPN.com