College Football Playoff bracket for Week 6: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams

College Football Playoff bracket for Week 6: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Who is going to beat Texas or Georgia?

That is going to determine which fringe SEC teams make the College Football Playoff. Missouri beat Florida 45-17 on Saturday, one week after the Gators routed Ole Miss 52-28. That was one week after the Rebels beat LSU. 

This is the chain reaction in the SEC, and the Tigers don’t have to play Texas and Georgia. LSU has Texas and No. 7 Alabama, which hammered Mississippi State 56-23 on Saturday, instead. The Crimson Tide will not be an easy out either. 

The Gators and Rebels do have face Texas and Georgia. In order to reach that 10-win mark, which might be necessary when looking at the College Football Playoff pecking order, it’s going to take a victory against one of the top two teams to do it. Otherwise, a 9-3 SEC team really will have to lean into the strength-of-schedule metric. 

How do you sort out the picture after Week 4? Here is a look at the top four teams, the projected first-round matchups and the four teams on the college football playoff bubble heading into Week 6:

In: LSU  

Out: Florida

HOT SEATS: USC escapes Washington | South Carolina falls in OT

Projected College Football Playoff first-round byes 

No. 1 Texas (4-0, SEC champion) 

Texas had the best first-month resume after victories against Ohio State and Tennessee. The Longhorns had a bye week to prepare for the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma. Hollywood Smothers (198 yards, 2 TDs) and Raleek Brown (196 yards, 4 TDs) have improved the running game around Arch Manning (862 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs), and Colin Simmons is among the FBS leaders with 7.5 sacks. 

No. 2 Notre Dame (5-0, Independent) 

Notre Dame turned two North Carolina turnovers into touchdowns – which helped kick-start a 37-26 victory on the road. CJ Carr (21 of 29, 234 yards, 4 TDs) had a strong connection with Jordan Faison (8-132, 2 TDs) and freshman Jonaz Walton (23-120) had a breakout performance at running back. It was still a challenge from the Bill Belichick-led Tar Heels. Notre Dame faces Stanford in Week 6. 

No. 3 Indiana (5-0, Big Ten champion) 

That’s more like it. Indiana extended its winning streak to 21 games with a 47-15 blowout victory at Rutgers. Josh Hoover (20 of 27, 251 yards, 4 TDs) operated behind a running game that featured Turbo Richard (13-204, TD) and Lee Beebe Jr. (18-122, TD). The Hoosiers allowed just 59 rushing yards. The Oct. 17 showdown with Ohio State looms, but not before a visit to unbeaten Nebraska in Week 6. 

No. 4 Georgia (5-0, SEC at-large) 

The Bulldogs took care of business in a 38-14 victory against Vanderbilt, who was without five-star freshman QB Jared Curtis. Gunner Stockton (25 of 32, 295 yards, 3 TDs) hit three different receivers for TDs, and running back Dwight Phillips had 102 total yards and a TD. KJ Bolden led the defense with seven tackles. Georgia has allowed 14.7 points per game in three SEC victories. Alabama is up next.

MORE: Michigan’s Bryce Underwood fails to deliver again in loss to Minnesota

Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups 

A look at Sporting News projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 6 of the college football season: 

No. 12 North Dakota State (5-0 Mountain West champion) at No. 5 Ohio State (4-1, Big Ten at-large) 

Ohio State handled a road test at Iowa in a 31-14 victory. Julian Sayin (20 of 27, 324 yards, 3 TDs) averages 345.5 passing yards with seven TDs and no interceptions in Big Ten play. Jeremiah Smith (11-206, 2 TDs) is the clear Heisman front-runner, and the defense allowed 39 rushing yards on 1.9 yards per carry. The Buckeyes face Maryland in Week 6. 

North Dakota State and James Madison are the lone unbeaten Group of 6 teams remaining. The Bison shut out Wyoming 28-0 to improve to 5-0 in their first year in the FBS. Nathan Hayes had 187 passing yards, 79 rushing yards and two TDs, and DJ Scott (20-73, TD) added a solid game in the backfield. The Cowboys have just 162 total yards. North Dakota State travels to UNLV in Week 6. 

MORE: Jeremiah Smith enjoys record-setting day vs. Iowa

No. 11 LSU (4-1, SEC at-large) at No. 6 Miami (5-0, ACC champion)

Miami is without a doubt the team to beat in the ACC after a 41-13 victory at Clemson. The Hurricanes opened up a 17-6 halftime lead in the second half behind Darian Mensah (18 of 27, 227 yards, TD). Mark Fletcher Jr. (16-77, 2 TDs) returned from an injury, and Damon Wilson II had 2.5 of the Hurricanes’ six sacks. Miami gets a bye week before the rivalry matchup with Florida State. 

LSU is our last SEC team in the field. The Tigers had 731 total yards in a 63-14 victory against McNeese. Sam Leavitt (18 of 23, 176 yards, 3 TDs, INT) did not have a rushing attempt – because he did not need to. Harlem Berry (15-125, TD) led the Tigers, who had 367 rushing yards on 6.9 yards per carry. The Tigers travel to Kentucky in Week 6. 

No. 10 Texas Tech (5-0, Big 12 at-large) at No. 7 Alabama (5-0, SEC at-large) 

Alabama hammered Mississippi State to set up their matchup with Georgia. Keelon Russell (16 of 22, 285 yards, 3 TDs) won the duel with Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor (19 of 34, 258 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs), and the Crimson Tide turned four Bulldogs’ turnovers into 14 points. Freshman linebacker Xavier Griffin had nine tackles and a sack.  

MORE: Turnovers, injury ruin Kamario Taylor’s spotlight game

Is Texas Tech really a playoff team? The Red Raiders beat Colorado 29-7 in Week 5, which continues a perfect season under coach Joey McGuire. Will Hammond (17 of 26, 134 yards, TD) did not make mistakes behind a strong running game that racked up 181 yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Texas Tech does not play BYU or Utah in the regular season – and that is why they are a potential one-loss team in the field. This gives the Big 12 two teams. 

No. 9 Ole Miss (3-1, SEC at-large) at No. 8 BYU (4-0, Big 12 champion)

BYU pulled out a 17-10 victory at TCU – an ugly Big 12 victory that saw Bear Bachmeier (11 of 24, 62 yards) struggle in the air but manage 15 carries for 66 yards and two TDs. Running back LJ Martin left with an injury, which is the greater concern. Will Martin be available in Week 6 against Iowa State? The Cougars can lean on a defense that allows 14.3 points per game. 

The Rebels rode a roller-coaster September under coach Pete Golding that included victories against LSU and Louisville and a loss to Florida. Trinidad Chambliss (1,222 passing yards, 8 TDs, 3 INTs) has been fantastic, and Kewan Lacy (191 yards, 4 TDs) had a week to recover from a shoulder injury. Ole Miss plays Vanderbilt in Week 6 and still has a challenging schedule with four ranked teams remaining, including Texas and Georgia.

Projected College Football Playoff bubble teams 

Utah (4-0) 

The Utes had a bye week after an impressive September under first-year coach Morgan Scalley. Utah averages 43.2 ppg.; which is made possible with improvement from quarterback Devon Dampier (896 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT). Linebacker Elijah Elliss (2 sacks, 3 TFLs) leads a defense that allows 10.2 points per game. Utah faces Kansas in Week 6. 

Oregon (3-1) 

How does Dan Lanning do it? Quarterbacks Dante Moore (926 yards, 9 TDs, 0 INTs) and Dylan Raiola (413 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs) are both playing like potential first-round picks. Moore (concussion) had a bye week to recover, and another Big Ten test on the West Coast against UCLA. The Ducks have a plus-5 turnover ratio since the Week 2 loss against Oklahoma State. 

Florida (4-1) 

The Gators received a reality check in the loss to Missouri – a stunner in which Florida managed just 1.8 yards per carry on the road. Jadan Baugh (12-13) could not get started, and the Gators allowed 560 total yards. This showed first-year coach Jon Sumrall still has work to do – and that continues in Week 6 against South Carolina. 

UCLA (4-0) 

Iowa could go here, but the Bruins remain unbeaten heading into their matchup against Oregon in Week 6. It’s a national close-up for first-year coach Bob Chesney, who has UCLA rolling with a rushing offense that averages 281.5 rushing yards per game. Right now, UCLA is at the top of the second tier in the Big Ten.

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