North Carolina Tar Heels: Potential to Jump in Playoff Ratings

November 28, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal safety Dallas Lloyd (29) reacts after place kicker Conrad Ukropina (34) kicks the game winning field goal for the 38-36 victory against Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

7. Stanford Cardinal

Obstacle Difficulty: Moderate

Rationale:
Conference champ vs conference champ
One loss vs two losses
Win over Clemson better than any singular Stanford victory

Stanford does play a conference championship game this week. They face USC who they beat on the road early in the year. There is a good chance Stanford wins that game and the Pac 12 Championship that goes with it.

UNC’s case over Stanford comes back to number of losses, but also hangs on the idea that a win against Clemson is better than a win against Notre Dame (Stanford’s best win right now). Teams like Stanford are the reason why some are calling for UNC to blow out Clemson to gain any traction.

Next: Ohio State Buckeyes