What the 12-man field looks like according to the new rankings

The state of play in the latest College Football Playoff projection, as the selection committee announces its penultimate top 25 rankings before championship weekend, still has a lot to figure out.

As it stands now, Oregon and Texas are just one win away – against Penn State and Georgia, respectively – from securing two of the top seeds and first-round byes in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

SMU emerged as the new projected ACC champion following Miami’s loss to Syracuse, and Boise State further cemented its position as the projected No. 4 seed as the committee expects the Broncos, who face UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game, to be ranked higher become the eventual Big 12 champions.

A new contender in the mix this week is Alabama, once thought to have played its way out of the bottom dozen but benefiting from Miami’s relegation and now on track to secure an overall bid.

Here’s a look at what the latest round of the College Football Playoff looks like after the selection committee announced its second-to-last rankings ahead of Selection Day.

Bye in the first round

1.Oregon. The Ducks are the last undefeated team in FBS and should be in the playoffs no matter what happens in the Big Ten title game against Penn State, but a win secures the top seed.

2.Texas. A win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game not only avenges the Longhorns’ only loss of the season, but should also secure them the second playoff spot.

3. SMU. With Miami’s loss, the Mustangs are now the top-ranked team in the ACC, and they will face a very motivated Clemson team in the conference championship.

4. Boise State. The Broncos remain the committee’s favorite Group of Five team and are considered slight favorites for the Mountain West title against UNLV. If they lose, they could be eliminated from the playoffs there.

First round games

No. 12 Arizona State under
No. 5 Penn State

The presumptive Big 12 champion Sun Devils beat Arizona in the final and will face challenger Iowa State. The winner will receive an automatic bid, but will likely be lower than Boise State and therefore will not receive a first-round bye.

Penn State is a narrow underdog against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, a spot it secured after Ohio State’s loss to Michigan.

The winner will play No. 4 Boise State

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No. 9 Tennessee at
No. 8 Ohio State

One decision that is sure to upset SEC fans is that this prediction sees the Volunteers traveling to play the Buckeyes, a decision the committee likely made in light of the two-point loss to Georgia.

Ohio State will no longer play for the Big Ten title after its stunning loss to Michigan, but the selectors still favor the rest of the team enough to play a home game in the first round.

The winner will play No. 1 Oregon

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No. 10 Indiana at
No. 7 Georgia

Critics still question the strength of Indiana’s schedule, but the team played dominantly against those teams, culminating in a 66-0 win over Purdue. The reward is a scheduled away game in one of the most intense environments in college football.

Georgia is between hedges awaiting an eight-overtime win against Georgia Tech and has a date against Texas in the SEC Championship Game that will help determine seeding.

The winner will play No. 2 Texas

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No. 11 Alabama at
No. 6 Notre Dame

As things stand, the Crimson Tide are in the top ten playing for the national championship and will be hitting the road in the cold at the house Rockne built.

Notre Dame doesn’t have a conference title to play for, so will never finish in the top four, but has the second-best finish here by playing at home in the first round, albeit against an SEC powerhouse .

The winner will play No. 3 SMU

More… The complete College Football Playoff rankings for championship week

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