There will be no room at the inn for this year’s college football postseason. With 76 spots to fill, including the two semifinal games in the College Football Playoff, there are 80 bowl-eligible teams to choose from.
Two more teams can become bowl eligible this coming weekend. Oklahoma State (vs. Oklahoma) and Temple (vs. Tulane) can each pick up a sixth win to become bowl eligible. Fresno State is already 6-6 and would drop to 6-7 with a loss in the Mountain west Conference championship, but the conference recently amended its rules to guarantee a bowl spot to division champions. The rule assures even a 6-7 team with a loss in the MWC championship game gets a bowl game.
The above total of 80 bowl-eligible teams does not include Georgia Southern or Appalachian State. Both Sun Belt Conference teams have won enough games to play in the postseason under normal circumstances, but each is ineligible for postseason play this year due to playing a transition season after moving up from the FCS. Georgia Southern won the outright Sun Belt championship with a perfect 8-0 record in conference play this season, but the Eagles still need to have an appeal go their way in order to play in the postseason. Georgia Southern has already had an initial waiver denied, but has a chance to win an appeal. The appeal argument would stand a better chance if there was a need to fill bowls. Appalachian State has also applied for a waiver.
So yes, this postseason will likely include a 6-7 Fresno State team and not a 9-3 Sun Belt outright champion in Georgia Southern.