Jacob Rodriguez and the Red Raiders play host to some familiar in-state foes in this week’s bracket. John E. Moore III / Getty Images

Welcome to my College Football Playoff projections, which will be published weekly through the end of the season, updated and adjusted after each Saturday’s results. Check out the projected field according to Austin Mock’s model, which will look different from my opinion-based selections.

Three weeks remain in the regular season, and the College Football Playoff race still has multiple questions left unanswered. For starters, does everyone in the ACC just want to go bowling and skip the CFP?

Four of the five ACC teams that appeared in the initial CFP rankings on Tuesday have lost to unranked teams in the last two weeks. Last week it was Georgia Tech losing to NC State and Miami dropping to SMU. Saturday, Virginia fell at Wake Forest and Louisville lost to Cal in overtime. Georgia Tech seems like the best ACC representative this week, but with a four-way tie at the top, it all could change between now and selection day.

The American is in a similar position. Five teams have only one loss in league play, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who winds up as the champion. This week, USF seems the safest bet. But the league needs to be careful; Sun Belt leader James Madison is gaining ground.

As for possible CFP matchups, how about a Texas-Texas Tech first-round game in Lubbock, with the winner facing Texas A&M in New Orleans? What about the first Notre Dame-Oregon meeting since 1982, with the winner heading to the Rose Bowl to play Ohio State? An Alabama-Georgia rematch in the Orange Bowl is a possibility, as is Indiana facing Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl.

Five upcoming games with CFP significance: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, noon (ABC); South Carolina at Texas A&M, noon (ESPN); Iowa at USC, 3:30 p.m. (CBS or BTN); Oklahoma at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. (ABC); Texas at Georgia, 7:30 p.m. (ABC).

Nov 9, 2025

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Scott Dochterman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering national college football and the Big Ten. He previously covered Iowa athletics for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Land of 10.