CFB Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Scenarios, Bracket Predictions After Week 13
The Ohio State Buckeyes showed on Saturday that there is a gap in class between national championship contenders and teams fighting just to get into the College Football Playoff.
The second-ranked Buckeyes affirmed their national title contender status with a 38-15 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers.
Indiana's first loss will cause a shift in Tuesday's CFB Playoff rankings. The Hoosiers' landing spot is expected to be somewhere around No. 11 or No. 12, which would drop them into the fight for the last at-large spot.
The good news for Indiana is that two potential competitors for an at-large bid, the Ole Miss Rebels and Alabama Crimson Tide, were upset on Saturday.
Ole Miss fell to the Florida Gators, while Alabama suffered its third loss against the Oklahoma Sooners.
The top teams in the Big 12 are thankful for the upsets as well. Some of the four remaining contenders to reach the Big 12 Championship Game should be ranked ahead of Alabama and Ole Miss on Tuesday.
The Big 12 teams also have a chance now to catch the Boise State Broncos in the rankings. Boise State is currently in possession of the fourth automatic bid and a bye into the quarterfinals.
Updated CFB Playoff Projections
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No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten champion)
No. 2 Texas (SEC champion)
No. 3 Miami (ACC champion)
No. 4 Boise State (Best Group of Five champion)
No. 12 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Ohio State
No. 11 SMU vs. No. 6 Penn State
No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 9 Georgia vs. No. 8 Indiana
Ohio State Cements Itself as Title Contender with Win over Indiana
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Ohio State established itself as the clear No. 2 in the national title conversation behind the top-ranked Oregon Ducks.
The Buckeyes pulled away from Indiana thanks to a pair of key special teams play and incredible defense.
Ohio State allowed the opening touchdown to the Hoosiers and then did not allow any more points until the fourth quarter when the result was wrapped up.
The Buckeyes now have two wins over top-five opponents and a one-point defeat to the top-ranked team in the FBS.
They have been one of the most consistent teams in the country and could be favored against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game.
As for Indiana, its drop in Tuesday's rankings should not be as dramatic due to the losses from Ole Miss and Alabama.
Whether Indiana remains in front of Georgia and Tennessee remains to be seen. The Bulldogs and Vols each have two losses, but have played tougher schedules than the Hoosiers.
But one thing is for sure: the Hoosiers appear to be safe inside the top 12 because of what happened in the SEC on Saturday.
Alabama Suffers Third Loss, Should Miss Playoff
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Alabama's loss to Oklahoma was one of the most stunning upsets of the season.
The Crimson Tide did not just lose, they were embarrassed on the road by the 6-5 Sooners.
Jalen Milroe was inefficient for most of the contest and his two interceptions at the start of the second half doomed Alabama's hopes of making the CFB Playoff.
The Crimson Tide's resume now has losses to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt on it and it's hard to even justify a top 15 ranking from Tuesday's release.
Alabama can't get help to claw back into the SEC Championship Game either since Georgia is 6-2 in league play and plays an out-of-conference rivalry game next week.
The three-loss season is simply unacceptable given the high standard set over the last two decades by Nick Saban.
Kalen DeBoer's tenure in Tuscaloosa started with a disappointing season and he'll try to salvage it with a rivalry win over Auburn on Saturday.
Ole Miss' Playoff Hopes Dashed by Upset Loss to Florida
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Ole Miss definitely will not be in the playoff conversation over the next two weeks.
The Rebels struggled to break loose against Florida's improved defense as they scored just 17 points in The Swamp.
Ole Miss entered Saturday in a decent spot to make the playoff as an at-large team at No. 9, but the three overall losses outweigh the win over Georgia from two weeks ago.
Florida's upset was celebrated by Georgia and Tennessee, who should feel safer about their playoff prospects, as well as Indiana, who can still get in as a one-loss team.
Lane Kiffin's team will likely drop to around No. 20 in Tuesday's rankings and end up playing in one of the best non-playoff bowl games.
Big 12 Title Race Takes More Chaotic Turns
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Arizona State and Kansas provided the latest chaos in the Big 12 title race.
The Sun Devils handed BYU its second consecutive loss, while Kansas knocked off a red-hot Colorado team in Kansas City.
The two results and Iowa State's win over Utah produced a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings at 6-2.
Arizona State and Iowa State can reach the Big 12 Championship Game with wins next week, while Colorado and BYU need help to reach the title contest.
While the chaos is fun to watch from the outside, it hurts the Big 12's case to land the fourth automatic bid handed out to conference champions.
Boise State is ranked ahead of all Big 12 schools and can land the fourth automatic bid if it wins out in the Mountain West. The playoff rules state that the four best ranked conference champions get the top four seeds. There is no specification for the power-four leagues to control those berths.
Alabama and Ole Miss dropping out of at-large contention is huge for the Big 12 teams, but it's easy to be skeptical about where the league's teams will land on Tuesday because the Big 12 has not been viewed favorably by the selection committee in the last few weeks.
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