With the Week 11 College Football Playoff rankings finally out, Vanderbilt and Miami are both eyeing a path into the top ten. But their fate isn’t entirely in their hands. One slip by Texas in their upcoming matchup against Georgia, and suddenly, the dominoes fall just right for the underdogs to sneak in.

“They might be; they’re hoping for chaos elsewhere. Vanderbilt becomes Georgia and Alabama fans this weekend,” said analyst Brent Rollins on the David Pollack podcast. It’s oddly interconnected. Vanderbilt and Miami currently sit at 14th and 15th in the rankings, just outside the playoff radar. For them to move up, No. 5 Georgia must take down No. 10 Texas, and yes, Johnny Manziel is already cheering for that to happen. And No. 4 Alabama has to beat No. 11 Oklahoma. For Miami, the situation is even tighter. Their only real competition is Georgia Tech, which would need to win out to claim a playoff bid.

As Rollins explained, “And I don’t think if they’re up there, the ACC champion, the likelihood, unless it’s Georgia Tech, who if Georgia Tech wins out, they’re going to be in the top 10 if they’re 100%, right? That’s the only way that Miami gets potentially there is at 11 if they’re ranked 11th,” So, Miami’s best bet? Texas and Oklahoma losing big.

Vanderbilt is not playing in the SEC Championship, and their only remaining games are against Kentucky and Tennessee. So, right now, Texas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt are all competing for a possible fifth at-large playoff spot from the SEC, but there’s no guarantee that the spot will even exist in the future. Since Texas has already beaten Vanderbilt, it holds an advantage. But if both Texas and Oklahoma lose and Vandy wins the two games, they might get a spot on Selection Day.

But that’s not something Aggies’ former quarterback Johnny Manziel is rooting for. He wants their in-state foes to lose miserably against Georgia and end up going out of the playoffs. “I’m taking Georgia to them. Yes. Just go ahead and get Texas out of this playoff race that they think they’re in because their game is their season. Their season is on the line next Saturday,” he said. Well, after losing against Ohio State and the Florida Gators, their playoff spot is still not secure, but a win against Georgia and Texas A&M might push their fate, or three losses might even put them in Alabama’s spot like last year.

And Steve Sarkisian knows it well.

Steve Sarkisian gets real on tough road game

No one knows better than Steve Sarkisian how tough it is for them to win against Georgia on the road. As he said, “Obviously this week is a heck of a challenge going to play at Georgia and the respect we have for that program and the job they’ve done not only this season but over the years,” Sarkisian said. “What Kirby Smart has done. Think they’ve been to four consecutive SEC championship games. They’ve got a couple of national titles. They’re a very tough team to play at home. They’re 51-2 in their last 53 games at home.”

But let’s not forget that back in 2023, the Longhorns stunned Alabama with a 34-24 win at Bryant-Denny Stadium and entered the playoffs. Yet going up against Georgia at Stanford Stadium won’t be that straightforward. As they have crushed their opponents in Athens this season, beating Austin Peay, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Marshall. With over 93,000 fans packed in the stadium, it becomes one of the toughest environments to play against.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian hands Georgia their 3rd loss at home or ends up sitting out of the playoffs this year.