College Football Playoff Round for Week 9: Projected Top 4 Seeds, First Round Matchups, Bubble Teams

Alabama has been eliminated from the 12 College Football Playoffs.

Imagine predicting that after the Crimson Tide beat Georgia 41-34 on September 28th. That would have seemed absurd at the time. But the Crimson Tide suffered a 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt the following week. Then Alabama escaped with a 27-25 win over South Carolina. A win against Tennessee would have put an end to the lingering doubts surrounding freshman Kalen DeBoer.

Then Tennessee defeated Alabama 24-17 after a strong running game and 10 points in the fourth quarter. At least in our College Football Playoff predictions for Week 9, the Crimson Tide are out. Is Alabama really cooked?

SEC RESET: Georgia topples No. 1 Texas, Bama falls to Tennessee

Well, not yet. Alabama is likely eliminated from the SEC championship game for the second time in three seasons. That doesn’t mean the Crimson Tide can’t get back into the CFP race. It just needs to beat a squad that includes ranked teams Missouri and LSU before ending the season in three games against Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn. The Crimson Tide obviously can’t look past Missouri, but the matchup with LSU in Death Valley on Nov. 9 will be that moment.

Alabama was effectively eliminated from the four-team playoffs in 2022 after a 32-31 overtime loss at Tiger Stadium. This is the moment to watch – the path to redemption for DeBoer.

Each week, Sporting News breaks down the 12-team College Football Playoff, with first-round byes, first-round games and bubble teams. This is what it looks like in week 9:

Conscripted: Tennessee

Dropped out: Alabama

Projected byes for the first round of the College Football Playoff

No. 1 Oregon (7-0, Big Ten champion)

Oregon defeated the two-time zone theory with a 35-0 win over Purdue on Friday. Dillon Gabriel (21 of 25, 290 yards, 2 TDs, INT) now has a 77% completion rate – which would be the third-highest single-season total of all time, matching former Oregon QB Bo Nix from last season. Oregon controls its fate in the Big Ten and can keep the momentum going in Week 9 against Illinois.

No. 2 Georgia (6-1, SEC champions)

Georgia is the pick to win the SEC after a 30-15 win over Texas. The Bulldogs have victories against two top-10 teams – the Week 1 win over Clemson looks better every week – and the loss to Alabama doesn’t hurt as much. That gave Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart his 100th win. The Bulldogs took the underdog card and cashed it in against the Longhorns, marking a well-timed bye week before rivalry games against Florida, Tennessee and Georgia Tech in November.

No. 3 Miami (7-0, ACC champions)

Miami’s wild ride continued with a 52-45 win over Louisville. Cam Ward passed for 319 yards and four touchdowns – and the Hurricanes totaled 538 yards against the Cardinals. That’s three consecutive one-score victories in ACC play – and another controversial call negated a fumble by Ward. Clemson continues to rack up wins. A collision course between these teams is in the works and could push two ACC teams into the CFP. The Hurricanes face Florida State in Week 9.

No. 4 Iowa State (7-0, Big 12 champion)

The Cyclones erased a 14-point second-half deficit against UCF in Week 8. Rocco Becht scored on a 1-yard run with 30 seconds left and Iowa State defeated the Knights 38-35 in a Big 12 thriller. That was the same result as BYU’s win over Oklahoma State on Friday. Iowa State managed 530 yards of offense in the comeback win. The Cyclones have a bye week before a tricky matchup against Texas Tech, but that is one of three home games in the last five weeks.

Scheduled matchups in the first round of the College Football Playoff

A look at Sporting News’ predicted College Football Playoff first round games ahead of Week 9 of the college football season:

No. 12 Boise State (5-1, Mountain West champions) vs. No. 5 Penn State (6-0, Big Ten overall)

The Broncos and Nittany Lions each had off weeks to prepare for the second half of their respective seasons. Penn State ranks 10th in the FBS in scoring defense (14.5 points per game) under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. How would this unit fare against Heisman front-runner Ashton Jeanty (1,248 yards, 17 TDs) — who had an extra week to recover from a 31-carry performance against Hawaii in Week 7? The Broncos have a big Mountain West Conference test at UNLV on Friday. (Winner plays No. 4 Iowa State).

No. 11 BYU (7-0, Big 12) at No. 6 Texas (6-1, SEC overall)

The Longhorns could stay in the top five in the AP poll after the loss to Georgia, but will fall back to that spot. Texas has still outscored its opponents 274-68, but Steve Sarkisian may have at least a hint of a quarterback controversy with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. The Longhorns travel to Vanderbilt in Week 9. The Cougars earned a 38-35 win over Oklahoma State on a 35-yard TD pass from Jake Retzlaff to Darius Lassister in the final minute. That’s good enough for the final Power 4 overall bid, but this is a tenuous hold heading into Week 9 at UCF. (Winner plays No. 3 Miami).

No. 10 LSU (6-1, SEC overall) and No. 7 Ohio State (5-1, Big Ten overall)

These teams met once in The Shoe – a 36-33 Buckeyes win on Sept. 24, 1988. The Buckeyes had a week off to recover after a 32-31 loss at Oregon, and there are plenty of All-Americans -Talent on the roster to compete in a Big Ten Championship. LSU defeated Arkansas 34-10 and remains undefeated in conference play. The idea of ​​this new format was to bring SEC teams together in Big Ten country during the winter. That’s this game. (Winner plays No. 2 Georgia)

No. 9 Tennessee (6-1, SEC overall) at No. 8 Clemson (6-1, ACC overall)

The Vols are back in action after beating Alabama, but they’re not quite ready to play a home game just yet. Running back Dylan Sampson rushed for 139 yards and a TD, and a defense that allowed 11.5 points per game got the final stop. Clemson defeated Virginia 48-31, and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (23 of 35, 308 yards, 3 TDs, INT) has back-to-back 300-yard games. That would be a fun duel in Death Valley. (Winner plays No. 1 Oregon)

MORE: Sporting News Midseason All-America Team

Projected College Football Playoff Bubble Teams

Notre Dame (6-1, Independent)

The Irish are still on the road to success after a 31:13 win against Georgia Tech. Riley Leonard (20 of 29, 203 yards, INT) was solid, but defense was the story against the Yellow Jackets, who managed just 64 rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry. Georgia Tech was just 4 of 14 on third down and ND had a late pick-six. Notre Dame will face undefeated Navy in Week 9, which would be another win for Marcus Freeman against a ranked team.

Indiana (7-0, Big Ten)

The Hoosiers showed they are a serious Big Ten contender after a 56-7 win over Nebraska. Kurtis Rourke (17 of 21, 189, TD, INT) left the first half with a hand injury, but Indiana had a three-TD lead at the time. Indiana benefited from four turnovers and is the fourth-highest scoring team in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers play at home against Washington in Week 9.

Texas A&M (6-1, SEC)

The Aggies remain undefeated in SEC play after a 34-24 win over Mississippi State, and they would be an undisputed player in the 12-team field had they not lost to the Irish in Week 1. Conner Weigman (15 of 25, 217 yards, TD, 2 INTs) made a few mistakes, but they have a crucial showdown at home against LSU in Week 9. The home team has won the last seven matches in this series.

Pitt (6-0, ACC)

The Panthers had a bye week to prepare for Thursday’s game against Syracuse. SN Midseason All-American Desmond Reid ranks second in the FBS with 182.6 all-purpose yards per game, and the Panthers have shown a knack for winning close games under Pat Narduzzi.

Kansas State (6-1, Big 12)

The Wildcats are back in the Big 12 mix after a 45-18 win at West Virginia. Avery Johnson (19 of 29, 298 yards, 3 touchdowns) had his best game of the season, and Kansas State committed 96 penalty yards and forced two turnovers in the win. The Wildcats will face four straight unranked teams, starting with rival Kansas in Week 9. Will Kansas State get a chance to avenge its 38-9 loss at BYU on Sept. 21?