12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Based on AP Poll

National Championship Game: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas

Result: No. 1 Oregon wins National Championship

2 seed - No. 3 Texas Longhorns (SEC Champion)

What a week in the SEC. The Texas Longhorns defeated the Florida Gators and then got some help when the Georgia Bulldogs lost at Ole Miss. Texas is now in control of its own destiny again, and if it wins out (including a win at Texas A&M), the Longhorns will be in the SEC Championship Game. This projection has Texas as the SEC Champion, earning the No. 2 seed and a spot in the Sugar Bowl.

3 seed - No. 7 BYU Cougars (Big 12 Champion)

Survive and move on. BYU appeared to have lost to rival Utah on at least a couple of occasions, but a late defensive holding penalty on the Utes breathed new life into the Cougars. They nailed a field goal to defeat their rival and remain unbeaten. Colorado is probably playing the best in the Big 12 right now, but the Cougars get the nod as the projected Big 12 Champion. They are ranked seventh in the AP Poll and move to the third seed in the College Football Playoff.

4 seed - No. 12 Miami Hurricanes (ACC Champion)

After some narrow escapes, the Miami Hurricanes could not pull a rabbit out of the hat, falling at Georgia Tech. Cam Ward was sacked and fumbled the ball, ending a potential comeback bid and giving Miami their first loss of the season. The more significant concern is that Georgia Tech ran wild on the Hurricanes, and the defense continued to give up big plays as a battered Yellow Jackets squad found a way to win. This projection still has Miami as the ACC Champion, prevailing over SMU in the ACC Championship Game. Miami’s loss likely leaves the ACC as a one-bid league after they fell to 12th in the AP Poll.

12 seed - No. 12 Boise State (G5 Auto-Bid) at 5 seed - No. 2 Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes steamrolled Purdue 45-0 to improve to 8-1 and 5-1 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes now play Northwestern and should win easily once again. That would set up a matchup between Ohio State and the Indiana Hoosiers with a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game on the line. Ohio State was given a lot of respect by the College Football Playoff Committee, being tabbed second in the initial rankings, and they stay second in the AP Poll. They would be hosting the Boise State Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. Boise State survived a scare from Nevada but prevailed and still has the inside track on the Group of Five’s bid. The Broncos are currently ranked 12th. Other teams to keep an eye on include Army and Tulane. The winner of this game would play Miami in the Peach Bowl.

11 seed - No. 10 Ole Miss at 6 seed - No. 4 Penn State

Penn State rebounded from an emotional loss to Ohio State with a thumping of Washington as they led 28-0 at the half and won 35-6. The Nittany Lions, as frustrated as some fans might be with James Franklin, are still in a great position. They are 8-1 and were given an initial ranking of six in the first release by the selection committee. The win bumped Penn State to No. 4 in the AP Poll. If they can finish with wins over Purdue, Minnesota, and Maryland, the Nittany Lions will almost certainly be hosting a playoff game. This projection has Penn State welcoming the Ole Miss Rebels to Happy Valley. What to do with the two-loss jumble in the SEC? Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Ole Miss all have two losses. Georgia lost to Alabama and Ole Miss but had a huge win over Texas. Alabama has won over Georgia, LSU, and Missouri but lost to Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Ole Miss has an ugly home loss to Kentucky and a loss to LSU, but blowout wins over South Carolina, Arkansas, and a big win over Georgia. In short, it’s a big mess, and no one knows how the selection committee will unwind things. Ole Miss jumped to tenth in the AP Poll and landed as the 11-seed in this bracket.

10 seed - No. 9 Alabama at 7 seed - No. 5 Indiana

The Indiana Hoosiers were tested but beat the Michigan Wolverines 20-15 and improved to 10-0 on the season. Only Oregon, BYU, Indiana, and Army remain unbeaten. The Hoosiers jumped to No. 5 in the AP Poll and landed as the seventh seed in this bracket. They would be hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide, the ninth-ranked team in the AP Poll. The Crimson Tide got four rushing touchdowns from Jalen Milroe and hammered LSU in Baton Rouge. It was an impressive performance from Milroe and the Tide, and they got back into the bracket as the ten-seed.

9 seed - No. 8 Notre Dame at 8 seed - No. 6 Tennessee

The bracket is rounded out with No. 6 Tennessee hosting the eighth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tennessee handled Mississippi State but has some injury concerns as Nico Iamaleava and Dylan Sampson exited the game early. There is optimism that both can play against Georgia this week, but it will be worth monitoring. Notre Dame beat the hapless Florida State Seminoles and remain hot after losing to Northern Illinois early in the season. The Irish still have Army and USC on the schedule and might be able to climb into position to host a first-round game.

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Rose Bowl - No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Result: No. 1 Oregon beats No. 6 Tennessee

Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 7 Indiana

Result: No. 3 Texas beats No. 7 Indiana

Fiesta Bowl: No. 7 BYU vs. No. 4 Penn State

Result: No. 4 Penn State beats No. 7 BYU

Peach Bowl: No. 12 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Result: No. 2 Ohio State tops No. 12 Miami

Cotton Bowl: 1 seed - No. 1 Oregon vs. 5 seed - No. 2 Ohio State

Result: No. 1 Oregon beats No. 5 Ohio State

Orange Bowl: 2 seed - No. 3 Texas vs. 6 seed - No. 4 Penn State

Result: No. 3 Texas beats No. 4 Penn State

National Championship Game: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas

Result: No. 1 Oregon wins National Championship