Week 12 of the College Football season was arguably the best weekend of the season as we saw some massive upsets and other top teams pushed to the absolute brink. Two of the Top 4 teams in Alabama and Texas A&M were battle-tested, and while the Aggies survived, Alabama fell, shaking the entire top half of the College Football Playoff bracket.
As the end of November rapidly approaches, we're at the point where every game with a Top 25 team has a massive impact on the race for the Playoff. After the craziness of Week 12, we're likely going to see some drastic shifts to the Playoff field.
Predicting the College Football Playoff bracket after a chaotic weekend
First Round Byes:
- #4 Georgia Bulldogs
- #3 Texas A&M Aggies
- #2 Indiana Hoosiers
- #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
First Round Matchups:
#5 Texas Tech Red Raiders Vs Group of 5 winner James Madison Dukes
The Texas Tech Red Raiders picked up another dominant win this weekend, and after Alabama's loss, they should be ranked as the top team that won't get a first-round bye. Texas Tech invested a ton in this roster in order to make the Playoff, and while they would love to have the first-round bye, having a Playoff game in Lubbock would be awesome.
USF was the lone ranked team from the Group of 5, and after their loss this weekend, they'll fall out of the Top 25. James Madison is currently in a great position to win the Sun Belt, and if they end the season with just 1 loss to Louisville, it's going to be almost impossible to deny them.
#6 Ole Miss Rebels Vs ACC winner Georgia Tech
The Ole Miss Rebels have looked the part of one of the Nation's best teams all season long, and this weekend, they were able to survive an upset threat from Florida. The biggest issue for Ole Miss now is that it's almost impossible to move up in the rankings, as they're boxed in by Georgia, which knocked them off earlier in the season.
The ACC is far more chaotic, as there won't be a team ranked in the Top 12 in this league, while there are still so many tiebreakers and scenarios in play. Georgia Tech has the most likely path to the Playoff along with Virginia, but as the higher-ranked of the two, they'll hold the spot.
#7 Oregon Ducks vs #10 Alabama Crimson Tide
After needing every last second to beat Iowa last weekend, the Oregon Ducks left no doubt, dominating Minnesota on Friday Night. This final stretch against USC and Washington will determine the Ducks' fate, but they're currently in a great position to return to the Playoff.
Alabama's loss to Oklahoma will send the Crimson Tide sliding down the rankings, but they're still in great shape to make the Playoff. Beating Eastern Illinois and Auburn are key for Alabama, which puts a ton of pressure on this team to not slip up like we saw last season.
#8 Oklahoma Sooners Vs #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Oklahoma Sooners needed to pick up a win to remain in the race for the Playoff, and they got one of the biggest wins possible, going on the road and upsetting #4 Alabama. The win over Alabama will likely vault the Sooners ahead of Notre Dame even as the Irish picked up a big road win of their own beating Pitt.