Week 9 saw five ranked teams fall, including No. 2 Ohio State to USC and No. 25 Wisconsin to Iowa. Unranked Syracuse and Oregon secured key conference wins. These upsets significantly altered the College Football Playoff projections.
The new 12-team format awards automatic bids to Power 4 champions and the top Group of 6 team, with the remaining slots filled by the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if ranked in the top 12. The top four seeds earn first-round byes, while seeds 5-8 host first-round games.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach project the entire postseason bracket, from the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 12 to the CFP National Championship on Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium. Their latest projections feature No. 1 Miami as a top seed and highlight potential matchups like Boise State at BYU and Ohio State at Notre Dame in the first round.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing