College Football Playoff bracket for Week 9: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams
The SEC enters Week 9 with a pair of one-loss teams and seven two-loss teams.
How do you even begin to sort that mess out? We have four SEC teams in our Week 9 College Football Playoff bracket. The one-loss teams are easy. Georgia had a bye week, and Kentucky improved to 7-1 with a 34-17 victory against Vanderbilt. The fact the Wildcats are above the two-loss fray under Will Stein is incredible.
Who are the two-loss at-large teams? For now, it's LSU and Texas.
LSU beat Auburn 38-17 in Week 8 in dominant fashion. Texas held off Ole Miss 34-27 in yet another "Saturday Night Football" thriller on ABC. The Tigers and Longhorns are far from sure things – especially since we know they play at Tiger Stadium on Nov. 14. Could one of those teams make the playoff with three losses? A rough day for the Big 12 – which included losses by BYU and Texas Tech – opens that door. LSU and Texas would be at that front of that three-loss line given their strength of schedule, and Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian would have things to say about it.
What does the playoff picture look like heading into Week 9? Here is a look at the top four seeds, the potential first-round matchups and five times on the outside looking in ahead of Halloween weekend.
Out: Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas Tech
In: Kentucky, LSU, Texas
Miami dressed and looked the part of the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 in a 52-23 victory against Pitt. Pick your Heisman Trophy contender: Darian Mensah or Malachi Toney? Mensah finished 31 of 37 for 387 yards and four TDs. Toney had 16 catches for 194 yards and three TDs. The Hurricanes rolled up 506 total yards – the fifth time they have cleared that mark this season. Can Bill Belichick-led North Carolina slow down this team in Week 9?
The Buckeyes had a bye week to prepare quarterbacks Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair for the Oct. 31 matchup at USC. Which quarterback can deliver the ball to star receiver Jeremiah Smith (52 catches, 984 yards, 12 TDs) down the field with the best efficiency? Ohio State also can lean on a defense that allows 13.4 points per game – which ranks sixth in the FBS.
Georgia has a bye week to recoup from a 27-24 loss against Auburn. The Bulldogs rank second in the FBS in scoring offense with 43 points per game, and Gunner Stockton (1,570 yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs) leads the SEC with a 74.1% completion percentage. Linebackers Chris Cole and Raylen Wilson have combined for 14.5 tackles for loss. Georgia takes on Florida in Week 9.
Indiana broke a 67-year losing streak at Michigan Stadium with a 13-6 overtime victory against the Wolverines. It wasn't pretty for Josh Hoover (8 of 18, 81 yards, INT), but he scored a 4-yard TD in overtime and the defense flexed with four sacks and 10 tackles for loss. The Hoosiers are on track for a third straight playoff appearance under Curt Cignetti heading into a Week 9 matchup against Minnesota.
A look at Sporting News projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 9 of the college football season:
Notre Dame had a bye week after the 28-24 loss at BYU. The Irish rank in the top 10 in scoring offense (41.1 ppg.) and scoring defense (13.4 ppg.), and CJ Carr (1,639 yards, 16 TDs, INT) progressed in his second year as a starter. Freshman running back Jonaz Walton (426 yards, 3 TDs) is a key player in the stretch run. Notre Dame plays Navy in Week 9 ahead of the much-anticipated Nov. 7 showdown against Miami.
The Broncos beat Washington State 31-10 in Pac-12 action to maintain their hold on the Group of 6 spot – a position made stronger after Appalachian State beat James Madison 34-31 in overtime. Boise State running back Dylan Riley (13-128, 2 TDs) put the finishing touch on the victory against the Cougars with a 72-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Boise State out-rushed Washington State 258-53. The Broncos face Texas State in Week 9.
Utah is the new Big 12 champion pick. The Utes rallied for a 21-13 victory against Houston after trailing by double digits in the second half. Devon Dampier had 204 passing yards, 150 rushing yards and two TDs TDs. Jackson Bennee's sack forced a late fumble by Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, which helped Utah clinch the victory. The Utes will look to avoid the upset bug at Cincinnati in Week 9.
The Longhorns beat Ole Miss 34-27. Arch Manning (18 of 30, 212 yards, TD, 2 INTs) scored a pair of rushing TDs. Texas had a 24-3 halftime lead and nearly gave that back in the fourth quarter, and the Longhorns have key injuries to edge rusher Colin Simmons, tackle Trevor Goosby and receiver Cam Coleman. Still, victories against Ohio State, Ole Miss and Tennessee are part of an impressive strength of schedule. They are our last at-large for now.
LINK: https://x.com/PolymarketSport/status/2114059166176116841?s=20
UCLA beat Michigan State 28-10, and Iowa's 13-10 loss to Minnesota has the Bruins as a solid third potential playoff team in the Big Ten. UCLA rushed for 245 yards against the Spartans behind Anthony Woods (14-112, TD), Wayne Knight (15-56, TD) and Jaivian Thomas (10-41, TD). Ty Dieffenbach (18-31, 198 yards, TD) was efficient, and Sammy Omisigho had two sacks. The Bruins face Nevada in Week 9.
LSU is trending upward under Kiffin. Sam Leavitt (32 of 45, 387 yards, 3 TDs) did everything but complete a between-the-legs windmill dunk on the sideline hoop. Jackson Harris (9-178, 2 TDs) had a huge game – and LSU had seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss against Auburn. LSU has a bye week in Week 9 before a defining two-week stretch against Alabama and Texas. Both games are at Tiger Stadium.
The Wildcats erased a 10-point deficit against Vanderbilt. Kenny Minchey (19 of 26, 203 yards, TD) continues to enjoy a solid season. Kentucky piled up 173 rushing yards, and safety Jordan Castell led a defense that allowed 262 yards. The Wildcats have a bye week ahead of a huge showdown at Tennessee on Nov. 7.
The Cougars suffered a 39-31 double-overtime loss in a wet-and-wild matchup against UCF. That was a setback after the victory against Notre Dame, and it thins the margin for error in Big 12 play. Bear Bachmeier (16 of 32, 257 yards, 2 TDs, INT) had 37 rushing yards and a TD – but it's clear the BYU misses running back LJ Martin. The Cougars will look to bounce back in a Week 9 matchup against Arizona State.
Yes, the Rebels beat LSU in Week 3, but the losses to Florida and Texas weigh a little more in the SEC race. Trinidad Chambliss (25 of 52, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) could not finish a second-half comeback against the Longhorns, and Ole Miss might be just outside looking in the rest of the way. The good news? The Rebels still gets a swing at Georgia on Nov. 7. First, Ole Miss takes on Auburn in Week 9.
Alabama beat Texas A&M 31-20, which prevented a three-game losing streak under coach Kalen DeBoer. Keelon Russell (19 of 30, 311 yards, 3 TDs, INT) had three TDs in the red zone, and Dijon Lee Jr. added a 39-yard interception return for a TD. That was one of three Texas A&M turnovers. The Crimson Tide are just on the outside heading into a bye week. A potential elimination game with LSU awaits on Nov. 7.
Florida is yet another SEC chaos team. The Gators average 39.6 points per game under first-year coach Jon Sumrall and have victories against Ole Miss and Texas in hand. Florida also has losses against Missouri and South Carolina. It’s a tough team to read on a weekly basis, but the Gators can re-stake their claim in the crowded race against Georgia in Week 9. Tennessee and Missouri – the other two-loss SEC teams – are next on the pecking order.
The Red Raiders suffered a major setback in a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati. Texas Tech had three turnovers and 85 penalty yards. Will Hammond (24 of 37, 227 yards, INT) was outplayed by Bearcats quarterback JC French (19 of 30, 172 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs). Cincinnati also had 255 rushing yards, and the loss drew the ire of Red Raiders booster Cody Campbell. Texas Tech plays Arizona in Week 9.
There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this. We have to be better. @TexasTechFB
Is there room for a second ACC team in the field? The Demon Deacons had a bye week, but coach Jake Dickert has a potential second-half sleeper here around quarterback Gio Lopez (1,947 yards, 17 TDs, 1 INT). Wake Forest lost 33-20 to Miami on Sept. 18 – but that does not hurt too much. Wake Forest has three of its last five games at home, starting with Virginia on Oct. 31. Keep an eye on SMU (6-1), too.