Just when we thought the playoff picture was becoming clearer, college football went and did its thing with a series of surprising results in Week 13 that have shaken up the situation like a holiday snow globe.
The changes to the College Football Playoff in this week’s bowl projections start with the SEC. Mississippi and Alabama both were stunned as big favorites on the road, eliminating them from the conference title game. Now thrown into the at-large pool with three losses, don’t expect the Rebels or Crimson Tide to have a way back into the field.
The losses open the door from two of their SEC brethren to benefit and the ACC to place two teams in the field. The first team that gets a boost is Tennessee. The Volunteers can be their league’s four representative with a defeat of Vanderbilt. Georgia also now is set for a trip to the conference title game and are forecast to be the No. 2 seed in the field by winning in Atlanta in two weeks.
In the ACC, it’s likely both SMU and Miami will make the field should they meet for the conference title. A loss by the Hurricanes against Syracuse would open the door for Clemson to play the Mustangs and give the Tigers an opportunity to join the field.
UP AND DOWN: Winners and losers from Week 13 in college football
TIEBREAKERS: Where Power Four conference races stand after Week 13
There are other changes from the weekend with Colorado’s loss to Kansas and Arizona State’s defeat of Brigham Young altering the outlook in the Big 12. The Sun Devils now look positioned to be the league’s champion should they win their final two contests.
Notes: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season. Some conferences may not fulfill their bowl allotment. Asterisks denote a replacement pick