1. Oregon Ducks (13-0) — No. 1 Seed
The Big Ten champions enter the first 12-team College Football Playoff as the only undefeated team in the country. Oregon completed its perfect regular season with a win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Ducks have wins over three teams in the CFP — Penn State, Ohio State, and Boise State — but they do not have a favorable path. In the Rose Bowl, Oregon will play the winner of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee. If all favorites advance, the Ducks would play No. 3 Texas in the semifinal and No. 2 Georgia in the final.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) — No. 2 Seed
Georgia secured a first-round Bye with its second win over Texas. The Bulldogs trailed 6-0 late into the second quarter but went on a 13-0 run over the next 21 minutes to take a 13-6 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs surrendered the lead with less than 20 seconds to play but ultimately won in overtime. However, quarterback Carson Beck injured his elbow on the final play of the first half and his status moving forward remains unknown. If Beck can’t play, Georgia will turn to Gunner Stockton. Against Texas, Stockton went 12-of-16 for 71 yards and threw one (terrible) interception.
3. Texas Longhorns (11-2) — No. 5 Seed
The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia this season and 11-0 against the rest of their opponents. After being dominated by the Bulldogs in the regular season, Texas held its own in the SEC Championship. The Horns outgained Georgia by over 100 yards but ultimately have themselves to blame for the defeat. Quinn Ewers threw two interceptions and Bert Auburn missed two field goals. Ewers was unable to lead the offense to a touchdown in overtime and the defense was unable to stop Georgia on its lone possession in OT. Next, Texas will host Clemson for the right to take on Arizona State in the quarterfinals.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2) — No. 6 Seed
Until Penn State knocks off a highly-ranked opponent, the narrative around the team will remain the same — it is good, but also overrated. Despite losing to Ohio State earlier in the season, the Nittany Lions found themselves in the Big Ten Championship Game due to OSU’s shocking loss to Michigan. Last weekend, the Lions trailed No. 1 Oregon 28-10 early in the second quarter and faced a 14-point deficit entering the fourth. While State had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing moments, it never led against the Ducks. Still, the Lions are arguably in the best position to reach the semifinals. State will host SMU in the opening round, with Boise State awaiting the winner.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) — No. 7 Seed
Two weeks ago, the Fighting Irish secured a spot in the College Football Playoff with a big win over Southern Cal. After Jayden Maiava rushed for his second TD of the game for the Trojans, Notre Dame responded with back-to-back touchdowns in the final six minutes of the third quarter to take a 35-21 lead. The lead was cut to seven midway through the fourth and USC had an opportunity to tie the game with a tick under four minutes to play. Then, Christian Gray secured the victory with a 99-yard pick-six. Two minutes later, Xavier Watts scored on a 100-yard pick-six. The Irish will host Indiana in the opening round of the CFP.
6. Boise State Broncos (12-1) — No. 3 Seed
Boise State’s dream of winning the National Championship lives on. In the Mountain West Championship Game, the Broncos dispatched No. 20 UNLV by a score of 21-7. Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty led the way with 209 rushing yards and is now 131 yards behind Barry Sanders for the single-season rushing record (2,628 yards). Boise earned a first-round Bye and now awaits the winner of Penn State-SMU.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) — No. 8 Seed
O-H, oh no. While the Buckeyes still find themselves in the College Football Playoff, their loss to Michigan will sting for a while. OSU entered the week ranked No. 2 and was hosting a 6-5 group of Wolverines that were at a talent disadvantage. Will Howard was bad (175 yards, two INTs on 33 attempts), the running game failed to produce (77 yards on 26 carries), and the offense was shut out in the second half. The Buckeyes have now lost four in a row to Michigan and may need to win the National Championship to save Ryan Day’s job. The team faces a tough opening matchup with Tennessee coming to The Shoe.
8. Tennessee Volunteers (10-2) — No. 9 Seed
With a nice road win over Vanderbilt, Tennessee did enough to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. The opening minutes were a disaster for the Volunteers, however. Vanderbilt returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and the Vols fumbled the ball back to Vandy on their second offensive snap. Seven plays later, Vandy took a 14-0 lead. Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee’s comeback with four passing touchdowns including three in the first half. The Vols went on a 36-3 run between the 10:22 mark of the first quarter and the 8:24 mark of the fourth. Now, the Vols will take on Ohio State for an opportunity to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
9. Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) — No. 10 Seed
There was never a doubt that Indiana would beat Purdue two weekends ago. Following its first loss of the year, Indiana drubbed the miserable Boilermakers 66-0 to solidify its spot in the College Football Playoff. Kurtis Rourke torched Purdue for 349 yards and six touchdowns. The Hoosiers added three more scores on the ground and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. 66-0 is as lopsided as it gets, but the stats are even uglier for Purdue. Indiana held the Boilermakers to 67 total yards and five first downs — and forced five turnovers. If the Hoosiers can defeat Notre Dame in South Bend, they will face No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
10. Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2) — No. 4 Seed
Arizona State defied the odds this season. Picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Sun Devils shocked everyone by going 7-2 in conference play to reach the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sun Devils took on Iowa State for a spot in the CFP and left no doubt as to which team is superior. Cam Skattebo rushed for two touchdowns in the first half as ASU took a 24-10 lead into the break. In the first 12 minutes of the third quarter, ASU’s defense forced three consecutive turnovers, and the offense capitalized by scoring 21 points. Skattebo finished with 208 total yards and three scores, and the Devils crushed Iowa State 45-19.
11. Clemson Tigers (10-3) — No. 12 Seed
Clemson’s inclusion in the 12-team CFP ultimately resulted in rival Alabama being left out of the field. The Tigers needed to win the ACC Championship to secure their spot. Cade Klubnik gouged SMU for four touchdown passes as his team built a 31-14 lead through three quarters. Then, the Tigers surrendered 17 straight points in the fourth and saw SMU tie the game with 16 seconds to play. A 41-yard kickoff return gave Clemson the ball at its 45-yard line and Klubnik put the team in striking distance with a 17-yard completion on its next play. To win the ACC and clinch a spot in the CFP, Nolan Hauser drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired. The Tigers are currently an 11-point underdog to Texas.
12. SMU Mustangs (11-2) — No. 11 Seed
With a win over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, SMU would have secured the No. 3 seed and a first-round Bye. With a loss, the Mustangs would have to sweat out the committee’s decision — who would secure the last at-large bid, SMU or Alabama? To the surprise of many, the committee kept the Mustangs in the field despite their loss. Seeded ahead of Clemson, SMU will travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State.
