Georgia Leads Projected Playoff Field as Bowl Outlook Shifts
On November 1, college football projections put Georgia atop the projected 12-team playoff field, with the first committee rankings due Tuesday night as Week 9 results reshaped the postseason picture.
Parity has unsettled the college football postseason outlook with four regular-season games remaining for many teams. USC’s upset of Ohio State, Miami’s narrow win over North Carolina and Georgia’s decisive victory over Florida all added to the uncertainty before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday night.
One projected 12-team field has Georgia first, followed by Indiana, Notre Dame, Miami, Utah and LSU. Its first-round matchups include Wake Forest at LSU and Ohio State at UCLA, with Georgia projected to face BYU in the quarterfinals. The forecast has Georgia meeting Notre Dame in the championship game in Las Vegas.
Bowl projections also reflect shifting expectations. One forecast pairs Oregon and Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl, while another projects a rematch between the teams in the playoff quarterfinals. Other proposed matchups include Louisville against Minnesota in the Mayo Bowl and Duke against Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Several teams still face important tests to secure bowl eligibility. Penn State needs two wins in its final four games, while Kansas State’s loss to previously winless Colorado has complicated its path. Jacksonville State, meanwhile, has won five straight and is 4-0 in Conference USA.
The committee’s first rankings are scheduled for Tuesday night. Teams will have the rest of the regular season, followed by conference championship weekend, to shape their playoff cases before Selection Sunday.