College Football's New Look

ByESPN.COM
May 19, 2014, 2:59 PM

— -- This week, ESPN.com is examining the top contenders for the College Football Playoff. Yesterday, we narrowed the field from 16 to eight, focusing on a unique talent or skill that differentiated our remaining teams. But talent alone isn't enough to prevail in the playoff era.

Today, we whittle the list of contenders from eight to four, identifying a challenge facing each team this spring, and how they're working to turn a potential pitfall into an opportunity.