Bowl projections: Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State headline first 12-team College Football Playoff

Another thrilling Championship Week in school soccer has come and gone, which suggests it is time for one last College Football Playoff projections earlier than the first-ever 12-team bracket is launched on Sunday. Let’s begin on the prime.  

Oregon has been the No. 1 staff within the College Football Playoff Rankings because the very starting, and the Ducks will enter the CFP in that precise spot. The Ducks would be the prime seed within the subject after beating Penn State 45-37 for the Big Ten championship on Saturday. Oregon is the lone remaining undefeated staff in school soccer, so that is a straightforward name for the committee. The Ducks will play their quarterfinal within the Rose Bowl.

No. 5 Georgia knocked off second-ranked Texas 22-19 in additional time for the SEC championship in Atlanta in an epic battle that noticed the Bulldogs change quarterbacks after starter Carson Beck was injured proper earlier than halftime. Beck got here again in handy off on the ultimate play of the sport after his backup, Gunner Stockton, was injured through the additional time interval.

The Bulldogs ought to be ranked second and earn the No. 2 seed within the CFP. They will play their first sport within the Sugar Bowl.

Texas mustn’t undergo too badly after the loss, nonetheless. I anticipate the Longhorns to remain forward of Notre Dame for the No. 5 spot within the rankings and earn the 5-seed within the subject. Typically, groups that lose aggressive convention championship video games to lower-ranked groups don’t undergo too badly when the ultimate rankings are launched, however the Longhorns misplaced because the higher-ranked staff. Georgia will, after all, bounce them, however there isn’t a actual purpose for Texas to fall behind the opposite groups under them.

Penn State is projected to fit in at No. 4 within the rankings and host a first-round sport as a 6-seed following the loss to Oregon. The Nittany Lions solely lose a spot as a result of Georgia jumped them.

Notre Dame will nonetheless be the highest ranked of the groups that had been idle this weekend. CFP committee chair Warde Manual mentioned this week that the groups not taking part in could be stored in the identical order amongst themselves as final week within the last rankings launched on Sunday. He additionally famous that these groups may see their rankings change as groups that did play transfer about within the rankings. This is how the committee has all the time operated, however it’s the first time a committee chairman mentioned it out loud.

Quarterfinals

First spherical

Much to the dismay of ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, No. 8 SMU is projected to drop out of the CFP subject after a heartbreaking 34-31, last-second loss to Clemson within the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers could or could not bounce SMU within the rankings, however I’m projecting that they may. It does not actually matter, although; both means, I’ve the Mustangs dropping under Alabama, and that’s all it takes to maintain them out.

Clemson’s win is a boon for Arizona State, which can now get the fourth bye and seed because the fourth highest-ranked convention champion. The Tigers now assume that fifth automated qualifying place and would be the 12-seed within the CFP. I’m projecting the Sun Devils to complete within the prime 12, however all that issues is that they end forward of Clemson.

The third convention champion to earn a bye is Boise State. The Broncos capped off a 12-1 season with a 21-7 win over No. 20 UNLV within the Mountain West Championship Game, which gave Boise State a home-and-home sweep of the Rebels. I’m projecting the Broncos to move Indiana for the No. 8 spot within the rankings after Ohio State and Tennessee due to the standard of their wins. Boise State has the 2 ranked wins over UNLV plus two different wins over groups with at the least eight wins.  

When the Broncos performed at Oregon, one of the best staff on this subject, the sport went to the wire with Boise State falling three factors quick. None of those qualities apply to Indiana, though the Hoosiers nonetheless have the second greatest common margin of victory within the nation, solely .03 ppg behind Ohio State. Note that Boise State passing Indiana doesn’t change both staff’s CFP seed from final week as a result of the Broncos get a bye.

The remainder of the playoff subject is full of the Hoosiers and Alabama as the ten and 11 seeds.

Be positive to examine again on Sunday morning for the total checklist of Jerry Palm’s bowl projections.