Tuesday night, for the first time in the 12-team era, the College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings came out. That means it’s time to project how the bracket would look after the reveal.
Under the new format, the CFP will see the five highest-ranked conference champions in the field and the next seven highest-ranked teams round things out. The selection committee’s job remains the same as it’s been since 2014 as it ranks the Top 25 teams. But come December, the group will have to seed the teams to fill out the bracket.
Of course, there’s still plenty to figure out as conference title races heat up through November and into December. But using the first College Football Playoff rankings, the highest-ranked team in each league will be its projected conference champion.
In the new bracket, first-round games will be at campus sites, and the four highest-seeded teams will receive byes. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be at bowl sites, and this year’s national championship will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The College Football Playoff bracket is sure to keep changing through November in the lead-up to the final rankings reveal on Dec. 8. Here’s where things stand after the first Top 25 announcement of the season. (Projected conference champions noted with asterisks.)
First-round byes
No. 1 seed – Oregon*
An undefeated season has Oregon not only atop the Big Ten standings, but also at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings. The Ducks have been red-hot so far this season, led by a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel.
Oregon’s most notable victory came in Week 7 against Ohio State. That gave the Ducks a head-to-head advantage over the Buckeyes as the committee put the rankings together and helped them check in as the No. 1 team in the country.
No. 2 seed – Georgia*
After a loss to Alabama, Georgia responded in strong fashion. The Bulldogs have rattled off four straight wins – including one over then-No. 1 Texas – to prove they’re still one of the top teams in college football.
UGA is coming off a rivalry victory over Florida in Jacksonville last week to get to 7-1 on the year and stay tied with Texas A&M atop the SEC standings. An intriguing matchup awaits this week, though, as Kirby Smart’s group heads to Oxford to take on Ole Miss.
No. 3 seed – Miami*
Cam Ward continues to generate buzz in his first year at Miami, helping the Hurricanes to an undefeated record entering Week 10. That makes them one of the top-ranked programs in the country and tied with SMU atop the ACC.
Ward has been impressive after coming in from Washington State and is making a strong case to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony. Miami survived a scare last week against Duke, but will have momentum entering week 10 with a path to Charlotte in its sights.
No. 4 seed – BYU*
BYU has been one of the stories of college football this year, sitting in first place in the Big 12 entering Week 11. The Cougars are rolling and came in as the No. 9-ranked team and, as a result, the projected Big 12 champion in the first College Football Playoff rankings release.
The offense is firing on all cylinders, averaging 35.1 points behind quarterback Jake Retzlaff. He sits fourth in the Big 12 with 271.9 yards of offense per game heading into this week’s matchup with Utah and will look to keep BYU in the CFP picture.
First-round matchups (campus sites)
No. 12 seed Boise State* at No. 5 seed Ohio State
Boise State came in as the fifth-highest ranked projected conference champion in the first College Football Playoff rankings, which would put the Broncos in the field regardless. They’d be the No. 12 seed in the current 12-team bracket, but if they were to come in higher, they’d take that seed.
Ohio State got a big-time win over Penn State last week as the Buckeyes continue to recover from the loss to Oregon. They came in as the No. 2 team in the first College Football Playoff rankings, but because Oregon is the projected Big Ten champion, Ohio State would fall to the No. 5 seed in the bracket.
No. 11 seed Alabama at No. 6 seed Texas
The No. 11-ranked team and No. 11 seed in the 12-team projection, Alabama is getting ready for a pivotal matchup with LSU out of the bye week. The Crimson Tide made a statement in a 34-0 win over Missouri after a loss to Tennessee, but another opportunity awaits under the lights on Saturday.
As the No. 6 seed, Texas is still looking to make a run in its first SEC season and is one of five one-loss teams in the league. The Longhorns gutted out a victory at Vanderbilt prior to their bye week and came in as the No. 5-ranked team in the first CFP rankings, putting them in the 12-team field.
No. 10 seed Notre Dame at No. 7 seed Penn State
Notre Dame is 7-1 entering Week 11 – including an AP-ranked win over Navy last time out – but a loss to Northern Illinois is still on the resume. Still, a season-opening victory over Texas A&M is looming large for the Fighting Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes, and they’re in the early picture after the first rankings reveal.
Despite a loss to Ohio State last week, Penn State is still in the mix for the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions fell to 7-1 on the season, but there’s still a path to the 12-team field for James Franklin’s group, which ranked No. 6 and became the No. 7 seed in the first rankings reveal.
No. 9 seed Indiana at No. 8 seed Tennessee
The story of college football this year, Indiana is off to its best start in program history at 9-0 under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. That puts the Hoosiers at the forefront of the College Football Playoff picture as the No. 8-ranked team and No. 9 seed in the projected bracket, especially considering matchups against Michigan and Ohio State are still on the schedule.
Despite a scare against Kentucky last week, Tennessee is still lurking in the College Football Playoff conversation as the No. 7-ranked team and No. 8 seed in the projected bracket. The Volunteers are 7-1 heading into a Week 11 matchup against Mississippi State and, despite a loss to Arkansas, still snuck into the projected 12-team field.
