College Football Bowl predictions for Week 9: Can Georgia still hold on to SEC bid?

The landscape of college football changed dramatically after Week 8 on Saturday. Two major controversies have turned the AP Top 25 on its head and the College Football Playoff race is heating up.

We are now entering the part of the season where the playoff bracket is starting to take shape and some teams are starting to plan for bowl season.

With an expanded 12-team field starting this season, there are a few changes to be aware of.

First, the playoff committee will be releasing rankings each week starting Nov. 5. However, it will not be as easy as the top 12 teams are placed in the appropriate seeds.

Players from the Power Four conference will be given automatic bids into the playoffs and seeded 1-4 based on the committee’s standings. Those four seeds will host the first round and represent the winners of the first round games.

Seeds 5-12 will be awarded to the at-large teams and the top-ranked five-conference champion team. So, it is completely possible for No. 12 in the situation a team to miss the playoffs entirely if the champion of the last conference is ranked below them.

First round games will be held on campus with the 5-8 seeds and the winners will advance to the quarterfinals to face the 1-4 seeds in a neutral site, annual bowl game New Sixth.

The NY6 bowls will rotate each season to see which four will host the quarterfinals while the remaining two will host the semifinals. This year the Fiesta, Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls are the quarterfinal sites and the Orange and Cotton Bowls are the playoff sites.

Below is a table of our projected playoff bracket with each matchup and participating teams. For complete information, these predictions are based on the latest AP Top 25 polls and our analysis of each team’s remaining schedule.

Notable meetings

Keep in mind that these predictions are based on the remaining lists of teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. I have taken the liberty of evaluating which teams will have reached and won their conference championship games, which may not reflect what AP is. poll shows now.

You’ll notice that Ohio State is ranked ahead of Oregon here and that’s because I think the Buckeyes won the playoff game in Indianapolis (where they don’t have to go through two overtimes). I also think that the two teams will have a rubber match in the semifinals because they are very good this year.

Like its Big Ten counterpart, the SEC looks like it could have a three-game series between Georgia and Texas, with the two meeting in the conference championship game and then again in the semifinals if all goes well.

The expanded playoff means that more teams will compete for the national championship during the postseason but there will still be many good programs out there watching. a bowl game (even a small one).

Here are our predictions for the remaining 36 bowl games and who will play in them.

Las Vegas Bowl – Alabama v. Arizona State

I understand if there are a few of you who think this is impossible. In the end, maybe it is but depending on the current records of both teams and the likely route, it is entirely possible. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had big shoes to fill this year and he didn’t do a great job (and I can’t blame him). Arizona State has overachieved under second-year head coach Kenny Dillingham (one win more than double last year’s total).

Citrus Bowl – Illinois v. Iowa State

The Fighting Illini emerged as Big Ten contenders this year but are ultimately destined to fall in the title game in Indianapolis. The consolation prize in Orlando will work well, especially with a shot at potential Big 12 runners-up. Iowa State might find itself in the playoffs at some point but based on its of late, there is one more loss coming up, possibly falling to undefeated BYU in the conference title game. Write this down as a possible immediate method of bowl season.

Gator Bowl – Indiana v. Texas A&M

This could be another example of two teams that have just fallen in the playoffs despite having difficult seasons. Indiana needs a big upset over Ohio State to sniff the playoffs, but a one-loss season to an in-state rival isn’t bad either. Facing a potential SEC dark horse right now in the Aggies will make this bowl game an interesting watch if it pans out.