Week 12 features SEC slugfests and other notable matchups that could impact the College Football Playoff. Throughout Saturday’s slate, Sports Illustrated will give an updated look at the playoff seeding and matchups. Here’s everything you need to know about the current CFP race:
Update at 12:45 a.m. ET Saturday:
It wasn’t quite the College Football Playoff chaos we’ve seen on Friday night the past few weeks, but the real start of the college football weekend cleared a few things up. Primarily, the ACC remains impossible to predict after Clemson went into Louisville to pull the upset. That result is great news for Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech and others aiming to make it to Charlotte for the conference title game and threw a number of obstacles for Miami, which could be forced into a scenario where it is at-large or bust.
There are a ton of other games across the country with significant CFP implications on Saturday, so it should be quite the Week 12 in the sport after a pretty notable shake-up within the committee before games even kicked off.
Live Week 12 College Football Playoff Bracket
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Texas A&M
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Mississippi
- Oregon
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Georgia Tech
- South Florida
First Round
- No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia
- No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 6 Texas Tech
- No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Mississippi
- No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinals
- Orange Bowl: No. 4 Alabama vs. winner of No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. winner of No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 6 Texas Tech
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Indiana vs. winner of No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Mississippi
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon
No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia
Saturday represents the Bulldogs’ final SEC game. Considering one of their remaining two games is against one of the worst teams in the Group of 5 in Charlotte, it could basically be a playoff-clinching scenario for Kirby Smart’s team Saturday night against Texas.
No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 6 Texas Tech
Miami is currently the highest-ranked team in the eyes of the committee, but Georgia Tech is just one spot behind at No. 16 and has a far more favorable path to the automatic qualifier by way of the ACC title game. As for the Red Raiders, they won’t get much of a résumé bump from their final two games but convincing wins will inch them closer to potentially getting a bye to the quarterfinals in the nearby Cotton Bowl if they win the Big 12.
No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Mississippi
Safe to say that Saturday evening represents the Lane Kiffin Bowl between the head coach’s current school that is pointed toward the CFP and the one who desperately wants him to do the same in Gainesville, Fla. That may be a playoff-clinching scenario for the Rebels while the Longhorns have entered must-win territory between the hedges.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon
The Ducks got a few guys back in the win over Minnesota and now get an extra day of rest before what might be a play-in game next Saturday against USC. As for the Irish, they feel on the verge of locking up a bid if they can get past Pitt in a hostile environment on the road.
Orange Bowl: No. 4 Alabama
All that stands between the Tide and a berth in the SEC title game may well be John Mateer on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Ala. This has not been a spot where Kalen DeBoer has struggled while in charge at Alabama—i.e. against ranked opponents—but nothing ever feels quite certain in this era of the SEC.
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas A&M
We keep waiting for the Aggies to fall on their face—and playing against somebody like LaNorris Sellers late in the season certainly offers that opportunity up. But if A&M can beat South Carolina at home on Saturday morning, it can basically punch its ticket to the CFP no matter what happens on Black Friday in Austin.
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Indiana
It’s pretty straightforward for Curt Cignetti’s team: Win against Wisconsin at home and they’re in the playoff for a second season. Win next week against in-state rival Purdue and you lock up a top-four berth. Win in Indianapolis? Well, congrats on that No. 1 seed to the team everybody doubted last year.
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State
The only thing left between now and the Saturday after Thanksgiving is for Ohio State to decide which candidate(s) it really wants to support for the Heisman Trophy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Football Playoff Bracket Week 12 Live Projections: Jumbled ACC Fighting for Bids.
