CFB Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Scenarios, Bracket Predictions After Week 8
There weren't many upsets among teams competing for a College Football Playoff berth in Week 8 outside of No. 7 Alabama's loss to No. 11 Tennessee, although Saturday night's matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia can drastically alter the postseason picture.
No. 2 Oregon cruised to a 35-0 win over Purdue on Friday, while No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State were both inactive as the teams prepare for their respective Week 9 contests.
In the ACC, No. 6 Miami survived a shootout with Louisville while Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward continued his Heisman Trophy push.
No. 7 Alabama couldn't escape Knoxville with a win over No. 11 Tennessee, falling by the score of 24-17. The Crimson Tide lost due to a low-scoring effort from a high-powered offense headlined by Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams.
The top-ranked team in the country, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, couldn't overcome an early 20-0 deficit against No. 5 Georgia, falling to the Bulldogs 30-15 behind a disappointing night from quarterback Quinn Ewers.
No. 10 Clemson, meanwhile, defeated unranked Virginia 48-31 thanks to a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Cade Klubnik.
The No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones also avoided a big upset against unranked UCF, defeating the Knights 38-35 to remain undefeated.
No. 8 LSU also continued to roll, defeating Arkansas 34-10 to improve to 6-1 on the year.
Here are the latest College Football Playoff standings, predictions, and bracket scenarios as Saturday's action unfolds.
CFB Playoff Predictions
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No. 1 Texas (SEC champion)
No. 2 Oregon (Big Ten champion)
No. 3 Miami (ACC champion)
No. 4 BYU (Big 12 champion)
First-Round Matchups
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Ohio State
No. 10 Iowa State at No. 7 Penn State
No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Tennessee
Miami Maintains Pole Position in ACC with Win over Louisville
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After winning by just five combined points over their past two games, the Hurricanes were in another back-and-forth affair with Louisville on Saturday.
It initially didn't appear as though the contest would be close, as Miami held a 31-17 lead over the Cardinals in the third quarter. However, Louisville stayed within striking distance by scoring 14 straight points in less than two minutes of game time to tie the matchup 31-31.
Both teams traded touchdowns, but a defensive stop by the Hurricanes in fourth quarter allowed Cam Ward and the offense to build another double-digit advantage.
Ward finished 21-of-32 for 319 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover, adding another 29 yards on the ground.
At 7-0 with a 3-0 record against fellow ACC squads, Miami should remain the highest-ranked team in the conference moving forward. No. 10 Clemson is the largest threat to win the conference following a 48-31 win over Virginia, but the Tigers' sole loss likely prevents them from overtaking the Hurricanes for now.
Alabama's Upset Loss Hurts Its Playoff Outlook
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Following a shocking loss to Vanderbilt and a narrow win against South Carolina, head coach Kalen DeBoer's team looked sluggish once again on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide were defeated by No. 11 Tennessee, marking their second loss of the season against a conference foe.
Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams couldn't get on the same page and Alabama's offense repeatedly failed to convert on third down. Milroe threw two interceptions and completed just 55.6 percent of his passes, while Williams was only able to haul in eight of his 20 targets.
The Crimson Tide's CFP hopes aren't completely extinguished following the loss, but they'll need to close out the season strong with a tough remaining schedule. They face No. 19 Missouri and No. 8 LSU over the next two weeks.
As for Tennessee, the Volunteers improved to 6-1 on the season as a whole with a 3-1 record against SEC opponents.
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Texas Risks No. 1 Ranking with Home Loss to Georgia
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No. 1 Texas is no longer the last undefeated team in the SEC.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled, and the Longhorns were unable to recover from an early deficit, in a 30-15 loss to No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night.
Texas was held to just 38 total yards while committing three turnovers through two quarters as the Longhorns headed into the halftime break facing a 23-0 deficit.
Ewers threw his first touchdown of the game in the third quarter. He finished the loss having gone 25-of-43 for 211 yards and two touchdowns while throwing an interception and getting strip-sacked.
Backup Arch Manning briefly stepped in in the second quarter only to suffer another strip sack in relief.
The loss marked the first time a No. 1 team has lost by 15 points or worse at home in 42 years, per Sportradar and the Associated Press' Stephen Hawkins.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck went 23-of-41 for 175 yards while throwing three interceptions in the win. Trevor Etienne, who recorded 19 carries for 87 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bulldogs defense, which totaled ten tackles for loss, were the stars of the victory.
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