Predicting the College Football Playoff Bracket After Week 2

8. Alabama Crimson Tide vs. 9. USC Trojans

The final projected first-round matchup pits the eighth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide and the ninth-seeded USC Trojans. USC followed a win over LSU in Las Vegas with a shutout victory over Utah State. The Trojans get to host Penn State, so they get the nod over them as the ninth seed, and it appears Lincoln Riley deserves a lot of credit for quickly changing the mentality and culture of their program. They ran the ball well, and the defense looks miles better than it was a season ago. Alabama was in trouble in the second half with South Florida before hitting the turbo button and pulling away for a comfortable victory over the Bulls. The Crimson Tide and Trojans would battle in Tuscaloosa, with the winner playing Georgia in the quarterfinals.

Odds to Make CFB Playoff: Alabama (-185)/USC (+165)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes - Big Ten Champion

The Ohio State Buckeyes looked like a wrecking machine set on “destroy” on Saturday as they blasted the Western Michigan Broncos in Columbus. After a somewhat shaky performance in Week 1, the Buckeyes locked in and held WMU to 99 yards while putting up 683 of their own. WMU only had six first downs, and Ohio State rolled to a 56-0 win. Ohio State would take on the seven vs. ten first-round contest winner. The Buckeyes have a bye week this Saturday before playing Marshall.

3. Miami Hurricanes - ACC Champion

The ACC has had an abysmal few weeks, and the league certainly appears, at this time, to be a one-bid league for the expanded playoff. The Miami Hurricanes have emerged as the favorite and are up to No. 10 in the polls. Cam Ward has looked like a Heisman Trophy contender through two games, and the Hurricanes might have the best offensive and defensive lines in the ACC. With those pieces and an excellent supporting cast around Ward, Miami is in the driver’s seat. They take on Ball State and South Florida before an interesting stretch against Virginia Tech, at California, at Louisville, and against Florida State.

Week 3: Miami (-36.5) vs. Ball State

4. UCF Knights - Big 12 Champion

I am continuing to project the UCF Knights as the winners of the Big 12, which would net them an automatic bid and bye in the College Football Playoff. The Knights had 554 yards, including 384 on the ground, as they thumped Sam Houston 45-14. That continues the pace set in Week 1, as the Knights appear to have one of the best rushing attacks in the country and a defense better than most think. Look at the rest of the Big 12: Cam Rising is hurt again, and Utah did not score without him in the game; Oklahoma State was incredibly lucky to beat Arkansas at home, and Kansas State needed a late interception to survive against Tulane. The conference is wide open, so why not UCF? They would play the winner of five vs. 12 in the quarterfinals.

Week 3: UCF (+1.5) at TCU

5. Texas Longhorns vs. 12. Memphis Tigers

The Texas Longhorns made a great case to be considered the SEC Champion, but they settled for the No. 5 seed in my projection. The Longhorns are in the same spot I had them last week, and nothing they did on Saturday surprised me. Texas was the far superior team in Ann Arbor, and they looked great on offense and defense. They controlled the line of scrimmage and exposed UM’s lack of offensive firepower. Texas has a demanding schedule, but there is no reason that they cannot go 11-1 or even 12-0. I do have them losing in the SEC Championship Game and slotting in at No. 5. They would play the Memphis Tigers in Austin and then have a chance to play UCF on a neutral field, so Steve Sarkisian would likely sign up for this path immediately if offered to him. Memphis has a big opportunity at Florida State this Saturday.

Week 3: Texas (-33.5) vs. UTSA

6. Tennessee Volunteers vs. 11. Penn State Nittany Lions

The Tennessee Volunteers are quickly becoming a real threat in the SEC. Josh Heupel’s crew dominated North Carolina State in Charlotte and looked strong on both sides of the ball. Nico Iamaleava is the hyped star, but running back Dylan Sampson is explosive and a perfect back for this system. Plus, the defensive line looks like a top-level unit. The Vols have an excellent chance to host a playoff game in Knoxville. In this projection, they would take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State’s stock took a bit of a hit as the defense struggled mightily against Bowling Green, a game PSU trailed at home by ten in the second half. The offense looks better, and Nick Singleton appears to be all the way back from his injury, but the defense is not quite at the same elite level we’ve come to expect. The winner would play Miami in the quarterfinals.

Week 3: Tennessee (-47.5) vs. Kent State

7. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 10. Missouri Tigers

The Ole Miss Rebels grabbed my seventh seed after another squash victory over an overmatched opponent. The Rebels have taken care of business, but it’s hard to move them up, given the lack of quality they have faced so far. Hosting a playoff game in Oxford seems like the minimum achievement that would make this season successful for the Rebels, and I have them projected to welcome SEC-rival Missouri to town. The Tigers move in thanks to struggles for Oregon, plus losses for Notre Dame and Michigan that move them out of the projected bracket. Missouri is 2-0 against weak opposition, but it deserves credit for taking care of business with a combined score of 89-0. Mizzou has an exciting game against Boston College this Saturday and then a road trip on October 26 to Alabama. Other than that, Missouri doesn’t face much that would be determined scary, and they would be favored in 11 of their 12 games. The winner would play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the quarterfinals.

Missouri Odds to Make CFP: +150

8. Alabama Crimson Tide vs. 9. USC Trojans

The final projected first-round matchup pits the eighth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide and the ninth-seeded USC Trojans. USC followed a win over LSU in Las Vegas with a shutout victory over Utah State. The Trojans get to host Penn State, so they get the nod over them as the ninth seed, and it appears Lincoln Riley deserves a lot of credit for quickly changing the mentality and culture of their program. They ran the ball well, and the defense looks miles better than it was a season ago. Alabama was in trouble in the second half with South Florida before hitting the turbo button and pulling away for a comfortable victory over the Bulls. The Crimson Tide and Trojans would battle in Tuscaloosa, with the winner playing Georgia in the quarterfinals.

Odds to Make CFB Playoff: Alabama (-185)/USC (+165)