Bowl Projections, 2025 Playoff Bracket Scenarios and Predictions for Top Games

Week 13 didn't exactly bring a bevy of marquee matchups to the college football landscape. However, we did see some minor changes to the playoff picture.

The Associated Press didn't knock Ohio State from the top spot in its rankings for only beating Rutgers 42-9 over the weekend. However, we did see some shuffling near the top.

Mississippi and Texas Tech, who were inactive in Week 13, each fell a spot. Oregon took Ole Miss' former place at No. 5 after handling USC 42-27.

Here, you'll find a look at the latest AP rankings, the most important bracket scenarios to track this week and some updated College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl predictions.

Updated AP Rankings, Top 25

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Indiana DL L Mikhail Kamara

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Georgia

5. Oregon

6. Mississippi

7. Texas Tech

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. BYU

12. Vanderbilt

13. Miami

14. Utah

15. Michigan

16. Texas

17. Virginia

18. Tennessee

19. USC

20. James Madison

21. North Texas

22. Tulane

23. Georgia Tech

24. Pittsburgh

25. SMU

Week 14 Bracket Scenarios

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Michigan QB Bryce Underwood

The top teams that played in Week 13 largely dominated. Texas A&M blanked Samford, Georgia won 35-3 over Charlotte, and Oklahoma outlasted Missouri 17-6.

Notre Dame beat Syracuse 70-7.

While the same teams that comprised last week's top 12 remain in playoff positioning, we saw some notable shifts deeper in the rankings. Tulane, for example, moved up two spots and in position to challenge North Texas for the top spot in the American Conference.

James Madison remains the top Group of Five (G5) school in the rankings, but there's a very real chance that the American champion will end up in the playoff ahead of the Sun Belt champ.

Presumably, the ACC Champion will round out the five automatic bids.

North Texas will battle Temple this week, while Tulane will face Charlotte. James Madison will go up against Coastal Carolina.

Michigan, meanwhile, moved up three spots following a 45-20 win over Maryland. The Wolverines, by the way, figure to be one of the most pivotal teams of Week 14.

This week will bring the annual Ohio State-Michigan matchup, a rivalry series in which the Wolverines have won four straight. With a fifth consecutive victory, Michigan could push its way into the Big Ten title game and knock Ohio State out of the top four.

While championship games will determine plenty, a myriad of Week 14 contests that don't involve Ohio State and Michigan could impact the playoff field.

If Indiana falls to Purdue, it would likely fall out of the top four while potentially opening the door for Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. Oregon, meanwhile, has a pivotal battle against Washington.

Texas A&M will need to hold off Texas, while Mississippi will need to outlast Mississippi State. Vanderbilt and Tennessee will face off, while Oklahoma will be up against LSU.

Updated CFB Bowl Projections

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Ohio State QB Julian Sayin

The following are predictions based on the current rankings and what could transpire in the coming weeks:

Round 1 (on-campus games)

12. Tulane at 5. Texas Tech

11. Virginia at 6. Mississippi

10. Alabama at 7. Oregon

9. Notre Dame at 8. Oklahoma

Quarterfinals

Cotton Bowl

7. Oregon vs. 2. Indiana

Orange Bowl

5. Texas Tech vs. 4. Georgia

Rose Bowl

9. Notre Dame vs. 1. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl

6. Mississippi vs. 3. Texas A&M

Semifinals

Fiesta Bowl

4. Georgia vs. 1. Ohio State

Peach Bowl

3. Texas A&M vs. 2. Indiana

Assuming the races at the top of the Big Ten and SEC hold through Week 14, there's a real chance that the top four seeds will remain unchanged, even through Conference Championship Weekend.

While the top five conference champions are still guaranteed playoff berths, the top four conference champions are no longer guaranteed first-round byes. The final bracket will be up to the CFP committee, of course, but we could see Indiana lose to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship and still maintain a top-four spot.

Such a scenario will be a lot harder for the committee to justify, of course, if there's a major blowout in a championship game, however.

Texas Tech will be in if it wins the Big 12, and teams like Oregon, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Notre Dame are likely to be in if they make it through Week 14 unscathed.

While BYU and Vanderbilt are in the top 12 now, they'll be bumped for the final two conference champions.