Predicting the College Football Playoff Bracket After Week 8

9. Penn State Nittany Lions at 8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won again, continuing to put distance between the team that lost to Northern Illinois and the team they are today. The biggest perk for the Irish recently has been the continued good play of Navy and Army that boosts Notre Dame’s strength and schedule and provides more ranked wins to prove themselves. The Fighting Irish are still not doing much in the passing game, but the rest of the team looks very impressive. The Fighting Irish would be hosting the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State was on a bye and now faces an exciting road test at a hot Wisconsin team.

Week 9: Penn State (-5.5) at Wisconsin

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2. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten Champion)

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a week off to lick their wounds after a one-point loss at Oregon. This projected bracket has the Buckeyes going 11-1 and then getting another shot at Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, this time in Indianapolis. OSU wins the rematch and earns a first-round bye. Ohio State will be tested by games against Nebraska, Indiana, and a massive clash on November 2 at Penn State. The Buckeyes would advance to the Rose Bowl and would play the winner of the ten versus seven game.

Week 9: Nebraska at Ohio State (-24.5)

3. Clemson Tigers (ACC Champion)

The Clemson Tigers cruised past the Virginia Cavaliers, continuing their excellent run of form after the loss to Georgia in Week 1. In reality, Clemson has played one abysmal half of football but is unbeaten in the ACC, and the offense has clicked on all cylinders since the loss to the Bulldogs. The biggest concern for Clemson is the surprising vulnerability of the defense as soon as a few of the starters head to the sideline. That is particularly true in the secondary, as everyone but Florida State has been able to find late scores against Clemson’s backups. This projection has Clemson edging Miami in a shootout in the ACC Championship Game and earning the third seed. The Tigers would play the winner of the six versus 11 seed.

4. Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12 Champion)

The Iowa State Cyclones can breathe a sigh of relief as they survived an upset bid from Central Florida and prevailed 38-35. Iowa State surrendered 354 yards on the ground and gave up a concerning 9.1 yards per carry against the Knights. Iowa State gets a well-timed bye before playing Texas Tech, Kansas, Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State to close the regular season. There is still much to play out in the Big 12 as BYU sits tied at the top at 4-0, and four teams are bunched at 3-1. The winner of the league will likely earn the four-seed and move to the quarterfinals in the Fiesta Bowl.

12. Boise State Broncos at 5. Oregon Ducks

In this bracket, the Oregon Ducks are projected to lose to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. They would then be 12-1 and placed into the fifth seed. While a bye would be great, the Ducks would be in a great spot, hosting the Boise State Broncos in a rematch of a tight regular season contest. Oregon hammered Purdue in a mature performance on Friday night, and they now play an impressive Illinois team back in Autzen Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Potentially tricky games at Michigan and Wisconsin remain as well. Boise State is the projected pick for the Group of Five, but the unbeaten Army and Navy look like serious threats.

Week 9: Illinois at Oregon (-21.5)

11. LSU Tigers at 6. Texas Longhorns

Does Texas have a concern at quarterback, or were the Georgia Bulldogs just outstanding on Saturday night, and the Longhorns’ offense will rebound quickly? Perhaps the answer is a bit of both, but the timidity of movement and lack of power on throws made while on the move from Quinn Ewers could be lingering impacts of his oblique injury. The offensive line was pushed around and will need to respond moving forward. Texas still has games at Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Texas A&M, and they probably need to run the table to make the SEC Championship Game. I still think the SEC runner-up gets a home game in the College Football Playoff and has projected Texas to host LSU. The Tigers could move further up the bracket. Still, I think a loss at Texas A&M and then a win over Alabama the next week, plus taking care of business down the stretch, would have the Tigers at 10-2 and squeaking into the field over Indiana (who has a quarterback injury to deal with). The winner would play the Clemson Tigers.

Week 9: LSU (+3.5) at Texas A&M

10. Texas A&M Aggies at 7. Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes are incapable of playing boring games. Mario Cristobal’s squad beat Louisville after a wild second half that featured special teams touchdowns and huge stats from both quarterbacks. That’s great, but it has to be a concern for Miami that they continue to give up a ton of explosive plays against every opponent. Miami would be hosting the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies won at an improving Mississippi State team and now host LSU in a massive game before playing at South Carolina. I am projecting the Aggies to beat LSU and then lose to Texas in the season finale. That would drop them to 10-2, and they would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Longhorns and miss out on the SEC Championship Game. However, they make the College Football Playoff as the ten seed and play in Coral Gables. The winner would get the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

Week 9: LSU at Texas A&M (-3.5)

9. Penn State Nittany Lions at 8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won again, continuing to put distance between the team that lost to Northern Illinois and the team they are today. The biggest perk for the Irish recently has been the continued good play of Navy and Army that boosts Notre Dame’s strength and schedule and provides more ranked wins to prove themselves. The Fighting Irish are still not doing much in the passing game, but the rest of the team looks very impressive. The Fighting Irish would be hosting the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State was on a bye and now faces an exciting road test at a hot Wisconsin team.

Week 9: Penn State (-5.5) at Wisconsin

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