College Football Playoff And Bowl Projections After Week 9: Oregon’s Résumé Discussion

The almanac is astir to move to November and that intends we’re only days distant from learning conscionable what nan College Football Playoff action committee thinks during a peculiarly outlandish season.

It besides intends we’re astatine nan constituent successful nan play wherever teams tin commencement locking up playoff bids (hello, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Mississippi) aliases reaching that elusive people of six wins to guarantee postseason inclusion. Several programs fig to beryllium successful nan operation for their first vessel games, while a fistful of others are going bowling for nan first clip successful respective seasons arsenic portion of immoderate awesome turnarounds. 

So who is going where? Sports Illustrated factored successful existent results and nan measurement teams are playing to task retired nan remainder of nan season. 

When it comes to nan CFP, that intends making a fistful of cardinal decisions complete definite spots. Right now, Tulane has edged somewhat up of convention rivals South Florida, Memphis and Navy successful nan title for nan Group of 5 spot, which is beautiful overmuch locked into being nan 12-seed astatine this point. There’s besides a spot of a messiness brewing successful nan Big 12, which has an extracurricular changeable of a four-way tie. Texas Tech gets nan motion complete BYU by kindness of hosting nan Cougars successful Lubbock successful 2 weeks, but don’t discount Houston aliases Cincinnati from besides eyeing a CFP berth. 

Another subplot is who winds up hosting nan first-round games. Georgia and Miami some person beardown capable résumés to do truthful moreover if they don’t make it to their respective convention title games. One peculiar lawsuit to salary attraction to is Oregon, which has only a azygous triumph against a squad complete .500 (Northwestern). It would thief if USC and Washington support winning to group up opportunities to unafraid Top 25 wins, but it’s imaginable a anemic slate costs nan Ducks a location crippled astatine Autzen Stadium.

As for nan different vessel games, location are nosy matchups connected platform aft Week 9, including a Cure Bowl betwixt 2 fantabulous Group of 5 teams, an aged Fiesta Bowl rematch betwixt Boise State and Arizona astatine nan L.A. Bowl, 2 of nan astir explosive offenses successful FBS gathering successful nan Gator Bowl and, of course, Diego Pavia trying to thrust disconnected into nan sunset pinch Vanderbilt by trying to hit Michigan successful nan Citrus Bowl.

With each that successful mind, present is really SI sees nan playoff and each of 35 vessel games coming together to shape nan postseason image successful 2025–26 aft Week 9.

1. Ohio State
2. Alabama
3. Indiana
4. Texas A&M
5. Georgia
6. Miami
7. Mississippi
8. Georgia Tech
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Texas Tech
12. Tulane

First Round

Bowl Projections After Week 9

More College Football connected Sports Illustrated

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