College Football Playoff Bracket Prediction & Odds to Make the CFP – Week 14

College Football Playoff Bracket Prediction & Odds to Make the CFP – Week 14

College Football Playoff Bracket Prediction & Odds to Make the CFP – Week 14

College Football Playoff Bracket Prediction & Odds to Make the CFP – Week 14

The only loss this past weekend that impacted the College Football Playoff outlook was Georgia Tech’s miserable rush defense, allowing Pittsburgh to run wild on Saturday night. That shifted the most likely ACC scenario.

Otherwise, Week 13 saw nothing but chalk hold in the Playoff conversation, leading to a rather repetitive College Football Playoff bracket projection.

College Football Playoff bracket prediction

• 5) Georgia vs. 12) North Texas

• 8) Oregon vs. 9) Oklahoma

• 6) Texas Tech vs. 11) SMU

• 7) Mississippi vs. 10) Notre Dame

• BYES: 1) Ohio State, 2) Indiana, 3) Alabama, 4) Texas A&M

CFP Bracket analysis

Alabama sits at No. 10 in the current selection committee rankings, almost certain to remain there this Tuesday night. Then why jump the Tide up to No. 3 in this projection?

All Alabama needs to do to make the SEC title game is win as a six-point favorite at Auburn this weekend. Given the Tigers’ defensive woes against the pass — No. 56 in the country in expected points added (EPA) per dropback against and No. 90 in defensive dropback success rate, per CFB-graphs.com — there should be a bounty of trust in the Tide.

At that point, Alabama will be a slight underdog to Texas A&M in the SEC championship game, but give the Tide a nod of deference out of sheer desperation. If they lose, they may miss the Playoff entirely, while the Aggies will already know their first-round Playoff bye is rather assured.

A head-to-head win in the SEC title game would be a strong argument to vault the Tide back into the top four, no matter their two losses.

Do not assume the middle of this bracket is locked in stone. Some might argue Notre Dame’s 70-7 win against Syracuse is reason enough to jump the Irish ahead of Oklahoma after the Sooners struggled against Missouri, but the Notre Dame blowout was an exercise in the extreme. For practical concerns, approach it as if it were 35-7, still impressive and dominant, as well as a more predictive analysis.

Regardless, Georgia, Oregon, Mississippi, and Oklahoma all have reasonable tests this weekend. The Irish need just one of them to lose to vault into position to enjoy a homefield game in the first round for the second year in a row. But guessing which of those will fall is a fool’s errand — my money is on Mississippi falling to Mississippi State thanks to Lane Kiffin’s selfishness. Thus, this projection takes the coward’s route of suggesting none will lose.

Until that change comes, the only change in these projections is slotting SMU into the No. 11 spot as the ACC champion, replacing Georgia Tech after the Yellow Jackets’ ramblin’ wreck of a rush defense completed their spiral out of the Playoff.

Latest odds to make the College Football Playoff

Team

Conference

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Big 12

<<-6000>>

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

IND.

<<-1050>>

Oregon Ducks

Big Ten

<<-1000>>

Mississippi Rebels

SEC

<<-480>>

Oklahoma Sooners

SEC

<<-450>>

Alabama Crimson Tide

SEC

<<-205>>

North Texas Mean Green

AAC

<<-124>>

SMU Mustangs

ACC

<<+112>>

Tulane Green Wave

AAC

<<+160>>

BYU Cougars

Big 12

<<+210>>

Virginia Cavaliers

ACC

<<+210>>

Miami Hurricanes

ACC

<<+225>>

Vanderbilt Commodores

SEC

<<+280>>

Important dates for the College Football Playoff

Round

Dates

Matchup(s)

First round

December 19-20

No. 12 at No. 5No. 9 at No. 8No. 11 at No. 6No. 10 at No. 7

Quarterfinals

December 31-January 1

No. 4 vs. winner of No. 12 vs. No. 5No. 1 vs. winner of No. 9 vs. No. 8No. 3 vs winner of No. 11 vs. No. 6No. 2 vs winner of No. 10 vs No. 7

Semifinal 1

January 8

Fiesta Bowl

Semifinal 2

January 9

Peach Bowl

Championship

January 19

CFP National Championship Game

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here