College Football Playoff Bracket Projections and Predictions after Week 7

The moment you start to believe you have a handle on a college football season, the very next Saturday tends to blow up a few storylines.

Folks, nobody knows anything. And it's just so beautiful.

Week 7 featured some massive results all over the country, most notably in the Big Ten as Indiana took out Oregon. That result has sent IU soaring in the College Football Playoff picture, while Texas' rivalry win over Oklahoma has bounced the Sooners from and welcomed a new program to the bracket.

The projections for the CFP are based on the latest B/R Top 25, which both recent results have shaped and upcoming games will change.

Key Results in Week 7

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Julian Sayin

Ohio State 34, Illinois 16

Behind a resilient defense, Ohio State steadily pulled away from Illinois for an important Big Ten victory on the road. The reigning champions moved to 6-0 and will likely meet a lone Top 25 opponent (Michigan) the rest of the regular season.

Alabama 27, Missouri 24
Texas 23, Oklahoma 6

In both matchups, the loser endured the first SEC setback of the campaign. Alabama continued its ascent as a prime contender—in the conference and nationally—thanks to the road triumph, while Texas recovered from its loss at Florida and stayed alive in the league with a rivalry win.

Indiana 30, Oregon 20

After a remarkable win at an unfriendly environment, Indiana became the biggest story of the weekend. That's the only logical response, too. If you thought the Hoosiers' surge in 2024 was an outlier, a flash in the pan—well, IU is shattering that perception. It's weird to type. It's strange to believe. But the Hoosiers are clearly one of the best teams in the country so far.

B/R's Top 25 After Week 7

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Ty Simpson

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Miami
4. Texas A&M
5. Texas Tech
6. Alabama
7. Ole Miss
8. Oregon
9. Georgia
10. Tennessee
11. Georgia Tech
12. LSU
13. Oklahoma
14. Missouri
15. Virginia
16. BYU
17. USC
18. Utah
19. Vanderbilt
20. South Florida
21. Cincinnati
22. Memphis
23. Notre Dame
24. Washington
25. Nebraska

Post-Week 7 CFP Picture

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Marcel Reed

Bracket Format

Automatic bids: The highest-ranked team within five conferences. (Ultimately, the league champion will receive an auto-bid.)

1. Ohio State (No. 1, Big Ten)
2. Miami (No. 3, ACC)
3. Texas A&M (No. 4, SEC)
4. Texas Tech (No. 5, Big 12)
5. South Florida (No. 20, American)

At-large bids: The next seven highest-ranked teams in the country.

1. Indiana (No. 2)
2. Alabama (No. 6)
3. Ole Miss (No. 7)
4. Oregon (No. 8)
5. Georgia (No. 9)
6. Tennessee (No. 10)
7. Georgia Tech (No. 11)

Rankings are based on latest B/R Top 25.

Indiana's Loud Statement

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Curt Cignetti

It does not make sense.

Prior to Curt Cignetti's arrival, Indiana sort of flirted with national relevance in less than a handful of seasons. The program had literally never won double-digit games in a single year. Not once, ever.

Sure, it was always possible that a coach may ignite the Hoosiers. It not like Cignetti inherited a ready-made winner, however, taking over IU after a 3-9 finish in 2023. What the Hoosiers accomplished in 2024—an 11-2 record with a trip to the College Football Playoff—was nothing short of extraordinary.

But they capitalized on a favorable schedule. But they struggled badly in two games against ranked teams. But they can't do it again.

Well, they are.

Indiana obliterated then-No. 9 Illinois in September and emphatically beat second-ranked Oregon this weekend. It held a powerful offense to 267 yards and silenced one of the best environments in the sport.

While you don't have to believe in the Hoosiers—any team has doubters, that's fine—you certainly cannot call them a fluke. Indiana has arrived.

Impact Games in Week 8

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LJ Martin

ACC: Louisville at Miami
ACC: Georgia Tech at Duke

The hype around Miami is justified, partially because of a much-improved defense. Still, the 'Canes yielded 38-plus points to Louisville in each of the last two years. That's a dangerous Friday night tilt. Head to Saturday's action, and we'll get a clash between Georgia Tech and Duke—both unbeaten in ACC play.

Big 12: Utah at BYU

Not only is this a rivalry game, it's a pivotal Big 12 contest. BYU is undefeated at the halfway mark, and Utah's lone blemish came against highly ranked Texas Tech. Either BYU will secure a key conference win, or Utah will put itself squarely in the conversation of being Texas Tech's top competition.

Nonconference: USC at Notre Dame

The battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh is also a war of attrition. Notre Dame has "quality" losses to Miami and Texas A&M but doesn't have a marquee win on its resume—and USC might be ND's final legitimate chance at one. USC, meanwhile, is aiming to avoid a second setback and drifting out of the CFP race. The losing team is going to face an uphill climb back to contention.

SEC: LSU at Vanderbilt
SEC: Ole Miss at Georgia
SEC: Tennessee at Alabama

Ole Miss and Alabama enter with unblemished SEC records, and the other four programs have one conference loss. No matter the combination of winners, the SEC standings are destined to produce major takeaways in Week 8.