Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey met this week off the field to discuss those conference’s role in the future of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
On the field, the shuffle among the two conferences continues. No. 3 Oregon beat No. 2 Ohio State 32-31, and No. 4 Penn State beat USC 33-30 in a pair of realignment-induced thrillers that shook up the pecking order of the Big Ten. The Ducks, Buckeyes and Nittany Lions remain in our playoff projections, but Oregon has a first-round bye and Penn State and Ohio State have first-round home games.
BENDER: Dillon Gabriel extends Ryan Day's problems vs. Top 5 teams
Who would have guessed Texas would be the only unbeaten – and an impressive one at that – in the new-look SEC? The Longhorns routed No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 ahead of another top-five showdown against No. 5 Georgia in Week 8. No. 7 Alabama is hanging on to its spot, and No. 13 LSU moves in after a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory against No. 9 Ole Miss. No. 8 Tennessee is on the bubble now after a 23-17 victory against Florida. Look for that shuffle to continue in Week 8.
Each week, Sporting News breaks down the 12-team College Football Playoff, with first-round byes, first-round games and bubble teams. Here is how that looks after Week 7:
Moved in: BYU, LSU
Dropped out: Ole Miss, Tennessee
Projected College Football Playoff first-round byes
No. 1 Texas (6-0, SEC champion)
Texas hammered Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry under Steve Sarkisian, which set up another blockbuster matchup against Georgia in Week 8. Quinn Ewers (20 of 29, 199 yards, TD, INT) will be in another high-pressure start, where he’s been at his best. The Longhorns average 43.2 points per game and allow 6.3 points per game.
No. 2 Oregon (6-0, Big Ten champion)
The Ducks take the No. 2 spot after the thrilling victory against Ohio State – a Big Ten signature victory for Dan Lanning. Dillon Gabriel enjoyed his best game in conference play with 341 passing yards, 32 rushing yards and three total TDs. The Ducks scored a top-five victory and are in excellent position to make the Big Ten championship game. A rematch with the Buckeyes might come down the road, but for now Oregon is on top of its new conference.
No. 3 Miami (6-0, ACC champion)
Miami had a bye week – which comes at the right time after a dramatic 39-38 victory against Cal on Oct. 5. Cam Ward leads an offense that leads the FBS with 583.8 yards per game, and the Hurricanes lead the ACC in total defense (282.5 ypg.). Clemson looms in the ACC race, but those teams do not play in the regular season. Miami has another road test at Louisville in Week 8.
No. 4 Iowa State (6-0, Big 12 champion)
It’s a toss-up between Iowa State and BYU as the unbeaten teams left in the Big 12, but the Cyclones won a prove-it game on the road against West Virginia. Carson Hansen (20-96, 3 TDs) was the hot hand in the backfield, and the defense forced two turnovers. Iowa State plays four of its last six games at home, and the defense allows 11 points per game.
Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups
A look at Sporting News projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 8 of the college football season:
No. 12 Boise State (5-1, Mountain West champion) at No. 5 Penn State (6-0, Big Ten at-large)
The Nittany Lions move up after a 33-30 victory at USC. Drew Allar (30 of 43, 391 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) led Penn State back from a two-TD halftime deficit, and tight end Tyler Warren had 17 catches for 224 yards and a TD. Those are video-game statistics, much like Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who continued his fantastic season with 210 rushing yards and two TDs in a 28-7 victory against Hawaii. Beaver Stadium gets a first-round home game. Will it be at night?
No. 11 LSU (5-1, SEC at-large) at No. 6 Georgia (5-1, SEC at-large)
The Tigers are in after the overtime victory against Ole Miss. LSU is 17-1 under Brian Kelly at Tiger Stadium, and they are the fourth SEC team in the playoff. LSU will have to hold off Tennessee and Texas A&M for this spot, but a potential matchup against Georgia would be exciting knowing these teams do not play in the regular season. Carson Beck passed for 459 yards, three TDs and two interceptions in a 41-31 victory against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have yet another road test at No. 1 Texas in Week 8.
No. 10 BYU (6-0, Big 12) at No. 7 Ohio State (5-1, Big Ten at-large)
The Cougars routed Arizona 41-19 and continued to flex a home-field advantage in the Big 12. BYU forced four turnovers – part of a trend where the Cougars have forced eight turnovers and committed none in three home games. Too bad they would get a road game here against Ohio State, which slides down to this spot after a 32-31 loss to Oregon. The Buckeyes lost another top-five game under Ryan Day, but they could get a shot at a rematch with the Ducks in the Big Ten championship game.
No. 9 Alabama (5-1, SEC at-large) at No. 8 Clemson (5-1, ACC at-large)
There is a playoff history between these teams. Alabama beat Georgia, but the Crimson Tide survived in a nail-biter against South Carolina. Jalen Milroe had 245 total yards and three total TDs. Clemson lost to Georgia, but the Tigers have found a rhythm on offense around Cade Klubnik (31 of 41, 309 yards, 3 TDs) and Phil Mafah (19-108, 2 TDs). How would the Crimson Tide fare in a new Death Valley?
Projected College Football Playoff bubble teams
Tennessee (5-1, SEC)
Tennessee fans will not love this, but have the Vols looked like a playoff team the last two weeks? The Vols lost 19-14 to Arkansas and needed overtime to shake off Florida at home. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava averages 163.5 passing yards with no TDs and one interception the last two weeks. We will bump Tennessee back in if they beat Alabama in a battle of one-loss SEC teams in Week 8.
Notre Dame (5-1, Independent)
The Irish buried Stanford 49-7 in a rivalry matchup, and they are inching closer to the playoff despite the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. Riley Leonard averages 182 passing yards with a 70% completion percentage with six TDs and no interceptions in his last three starts. The Irish have two potentially tricky neutral site games the next two weeks vs. Georgia Tech (Atlanta) and unbeaten Navy (New Jersey).
Texas A&M (5-1, SEC)
The Aggies lost 23-13 to Notre Dame in Week 1 – otherwise this surprise team under first-year coach Mike Elko would be ranked higher. A healthy Conner Weigman and the emergence of running back Le’Veon Moss (609 yards, 6 TDs) fits well with a defense that has allowed 20 points or less since the loss to the Irish.
Indiana (6-0, Big Ten)
The Hoosiers are no longer college football’s best-kept secret under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana leads the Big Ten with 515.7 yards per game, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke leads the Big Ten with a 192.1 passer rating. Nebraska visits Memorial Stadium in Week 8. This is a huge spot for Indiana.
Pitt (6-0, ACC)
The Panthers survived against Cal in a 17-15 nail-biter with the help of a missed field goal with 1:50 remaining. All-purpose star Desmond Reid had 120 rushing yards and two TDs. He has three games with 100-plus rushing yards and two games with 100-plus receiving yards. Pitt has a bye week before an Oct. 24 matchup against Syracuse.
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