NCAAF · 1 year ago

12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Based on AP Poll

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

9. LSU Tigers at 8. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide flirted with disaster on Saturday against South Carolina. One week after losing at Vanderbilt, they nearly fell at home to the Gamecocks. An interception as time expired sealed the win, but no one can feel good about how the Tide are playing. The running backs are failing to produce much of anything, and the passing game is inconsistent, minus Ryan Williams. Alabama needs to find answers quickly as they travel to Tennessee this Saturday. LSU is elated after a come-from-behind win in Baton Rouge over Ole Miss. The overtime victory likely knocks Ole Miss out of playoff contention and keeps LSU right in the conversation. They will need to navigate choppy waters in the next two weeks with trips to Arkansas and Texas A&M before another bye week and then a game against Alabama.

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1. Texas Longhorns (SEC Champion)
The Texas Longhorns handled the Oklahoma Sooners, limiting them to three points and using a solid second quarter to cruise to a 34-3 win in the Red River Rivalry. Quinn Ewers returned from injury to start at quarterback and showed some rust, giving Texas room for growth. The Longhorns are 6-0 and earned 56 of the 62 first-place votes in the AP Poll. They would be the one seed and play in the Sugar Bowl against the eight versus nine winner.

Week 8: Texas (-3.5) vs. Georgia

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2. Oregon Ducks (Big Ten Champion)
The AP Poll matched the Coaches Poll and slid the Oregon Ducks up to the No. 2 spot after the Saturday night win over Ohio State in Eugene. Oregon received six first-place votes and is now projected as the Big Ten Champion in this bracket. The Ducks would be in the Rose Bowl and would play the winner of the ten-seed versus the seventh seed. Oregon has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, and it would be shocking to see them miss the playoff or even fall out of the top eight seeds.
3. Miami Hurricanes (ACC Champion)
After two straight narrow escapes, the Miami Hurricanes had a bye week and remained at No. 6 in the Associated Press Poll. That places them as the third seed in the College Football Playoff, and they would earn a trip to the Peach Bowl to await the winner of the six-versus-11 matchup. Miami returns to action with a very interesting matchup at Louisville this Saturday.

Week 8: Miami (-4.5) at Louisville
4. Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12 Champion)
The Iowa State Cyclones and BYU Cougars continued their march up the polls as both won comfortably. Despite missing several defensive pieces, Iowa State kept West Virginia firmly in check and coasted to a win in Morgantown. That victory keeps them just ahead of the BYU Cougars. The Cyclones jumped into the top ten and sit ninth in the AP Poll. They are projected to be the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff. The Cyclones would earn a trip to the Fiesta Bowl to await the winner of the five versus 12 matchup.
12. Boise State Broncos at Penn State Nittany Lions
Boise State won comfortably over Hawai’i and moved up two more spots in the AP Poll to No. 15. The Broncos earn the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff, beating out fellow ranked team Army (24th). Boise State would travel to Happy Valley to play the fifth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions. PSU came from behind and won in overtime over the USC Trojans and surprisingly jumped two spots to No. 3 in the AP Poll. Of course, the Nittany Lions have a long way to go as they host Ohio State in November in a game with massive ramifications on both sides. The winner of this game would play Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl.
11. Tennessee Volunteers at 6. Ohio State Buckeyes
The AP Poll was not as harsh as the Coaches Poll after Ohio State's one-point loss to the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks moved up to No. 2, and the Buckeyes slid to No. 4, still ahead of Georgia. That drops them to the sixth seed in this projected playoff bracket. Ohio State and Penn State play in Happy Valley in a few weeks, so the seeding (and a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game) could be settled on the field. OSU would host the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols have been incredibly shaky for the past few weeks, and the offense is clearly in desperate need of some new answers as the passing game lacks any explosiveness, and they have been forced to rely a ton on Dylan Sampson. Tennessee hosts Alabama in a crucial match this weekend. The winner of this clash would get Miami in the Peach Bowl.

Week 8: Tennessee (+2.5) vs. Alabama
10. Clemson Tigers at 7. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs would host the Clemson Tigers in a rematch of a blowout in week one. The Bulldogs surrendered 31 points to Mississippi State. However, Carson Beck threw for over 400 yards, and Georgia won 41-31 over the Bulldogs from Starkville. UGA has some defensive issues to work out, and they have a difficult road ahead, continuing this Saturday with a trip to Austin to play No. 1 Texas. Clemson has manhandled ACC opponents thus far, winning four conference games by more than 25 points per game. The Clemson offense and passing game are cranked up, and they have a favorable schedule for the rest of this regular season. They are a different team than in August, and this game would be quite a bit more interesting this time. The winner would play Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Week 8: Georgia at Texas (-3.5)
9. LSU Tigers at 8. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide flirted with disaster on Saturday against South Carolina. One week after losing at Vanderbilt, they nearly fell at home to the Gamecocks. An interception as time expired sealed the win, but no one can feel good about how the Tide are playing. The running backs are failing to produce much of anything, and the passing game is inconsistent, minus Ryan Williams. Alabama needs to find answers quickly as they travel to Tennessee this Saturday. LSU is elated after a come-from-behind win in Baton Rouge over Ole Miss. The overtime victory likely knocks Ole Miss out of playoff contention and keeps LSU right in the conversation. They will need to navigate choppy waters in the next two weeks with trips to Arkansas and Texas A&M before another bye week and then a game against Alabama.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Texas Longhorns (SEC Champion)
The Texas Longhorns handled the Oklahoma Sooners, limiting them to three points and using a solid second quarter to cruise to a 34-3 win in the Red River Rivalry. Quinn Ewers returned from injury to start at quarterback and showed some rust, giving Texas room for growth. The Longhorns are 6-0 and earned 56 of the 62 first-place votes in the AP Poll. They would be the one seed and play in the Sugar Bowl against the eight versus nine winner.

Week 8: Texas (-3.5) vs. Georgia

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12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Based on AP Poll

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