Miami’s Surge and Texas’ Entry Shake Up College Football Playoff
As the college football regular season winds down, anticipation for the College Football Playoff (CFP) and bowl game projections is at an all-time high. After a wild rivalry weekend, the latest CFP bracket and bowl projections have dropped, and honestly, things are getting interesting.
This year, there are a handful of teams on the bubble—Miami, Texas, BYU—making things tense for fans. Let’s take a look at the latest projections and the possible matchups we might see in the postseason.
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College Football Playoff Locks and Bubble Teams
Right now, six teams seem to have locked up their playoff spots: Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, and Ole Miss. As we head into conference championship weekend, the last four at-large spots are where all eyes are focused.
Miami’s Strong Finish
Miami’s made quite the case for themselves, rattling off four straight wins and capping it with a blowout over Pittsburgh. It’s a strong finish, and the committee’s got to be thinking hard about whether to put the Hurricanes in the final 12-team CFP bracket.
Texas’ Statement Victory
Texas just knocked off previously unbeaten Texas A&M in convincing fashion. Even with three losses, the Longhorns have three wins over top 15 teams, but losses to Georgia (by 25!) and a struggling Florida squad muddy the waters.
Will the committee make Texas the first three-loss, at-large team in the CFP? That’s a tough call.
Projected 12-Team CFP Bracket
The projected 12-team CFP bracket is out, and the potential matchups are already fueling debates. Here’s what’s expected:
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.): (1) Ohio State vs. (8/9) Winner
- Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, La.): (2) Georgia vs. (7/10) Winner
- Orange Bowl (Miami, Fla.): (3) Indiana vs. (6/11) Winner
- Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas): (4) Texas Tech vs. (5/12) Winner
First-Round Matchups
First-round games are set for December 19 or 20, and here’s what’s on tap:
- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, Okla.): (8) Oklahoma vs. (9) Notre Dame
- Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Miss.): (7) Ole Miss vs. (10) Alabama
- Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Ore.): (6) Oregon vs. (11) Virginia
- Kyle Field (College Station, Texas): (5) Texas A&M vs. (12) North Texas
Teams to Watch
There are a few teams you probably want to keep tabs on as the final bracket comes together.
Ohio State
Ohio State, the likely Big Ten champ, finally got past Michigan and is eyeing that No. 1 seed. Quarterback Julian Sayin is in the Heisman conversation, and the Buckeyes are rolling at just the right time.
Georgia
Georgia’s got the inside track to an opening-round bye as the projected SEC champ. They’re gunning for revenge against Alabama and a top-four seed in the CFP.
Indiana
Indiana’s sitting pretty as the Big Ten runner-up, probably the No. 3 seed with a 12-1 record. The Hoosiers are dreaming about a shot at the national title, and maybe a rematch with Oregon along the way.
Texas Tech
Texas Tech is coming off a dominant win over West Virginia and, if they get past BYU, they’ll lock up a first-round bye. The Red Raiders are looking like a tough out in the playoff.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M dropped a tough one to Texas, but they’re still in line for a first-round home game. Playing at Kyle Field in December? That’s a real advantage.
Oregon
Oregon wrapped up the regular season strong at Washington and now has a home playoff game at Autzen Stadium. Under Dan Lanning, the Ducks seem ready for a deep run.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss beat Oklahoma head-to-head and that should get them into the CFP. How they finish out could shift their seeding, but they’re in a good spot.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s gritty win over LSU probably sealed a home playoff game. The Sooners need to fix some issues on offense if they want to go far, though.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame closed out strong against Stanford and has played their way into the playoff picture. They’re one of the hottest teams right now and could be a real problem for anyone.
Alabama
Alabama’s wild win over Auburn kept their playoff hopes alive. They’ve got to take down Georgia in the SEC title game to make it in, though—no easy feat.
Virginia
Virginia beat Virginia Tech and now faces Duke in the ACC Championship. Win, and they’re in. Lose, and things get messy for the committee.
North Texas
North Texas, the likely American champ, is eyeing that last CFP spot. Their fate comes down to the conference championship game against Tulane—no pressure, right?
Conclusion
The latest College Football Playoff and bowl projections give us a pretty intriguing look at what the postseason could look like. There are a bunch of teams making strong cases to get in, while others are just trying to hang on.
The last weeks of the season? They’re shaping up to be wild. With the conference championships right around the corner, everyone’s waiting to see what the selection committee decides.
If you want a deeper dive into the projections and what might happen, check out CBS Sports.
