CFB Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Scenarios, Bracket Predictions After Week 7
CFB Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Scenarios, Bracket Predictions After Week 7
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The Oregon Ducks took control of the Big Ten with a home over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night.
The third-ranked Ducks held on for a one-point victory over the second-ranked Buckeyes to put themselves in the driver’s seat to land the Big Ten’s automatic bid in the College Football Playoff.
The Penn State Nittany Lions will have something to say about that in the coming weeks, but for now, they are happy they just survived an upset bid from the USC Trojans.
Over in the SEC, the Alabama Crimson Tide escaped a potential upset at home, while the top-ranked Texas Longhorns cruised past the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry.
Texas will face competition from Oregon for the No. 1 overall seed in the coming weeks, but that debate can go away next week if the Longhorns take care of the Georgia Bulldogs at home.
CFB Playoff Predictions
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No. 1 Texas (SEC champion)
No. 2 Oregon (Big Ten champion)
No. 3 Miami (ACC champion)
No. 4 Iowa State (Big 12 champion)
First-Round Matchups
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Ohio State
No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Penn State
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Alabama
Oregon Jumps into Top Spot in Big Ten with Win over Ohio State
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At minimum, Oregon will be the No. 2 team in the AP Top 25 on Sunday afternoon.
The Ducks earned one of the biggest wins of the regular season to date at home against Ohio State on Saturday night.
Oregon now has a clear path to get into the Big Ten Championship Game as an undefeated squad. The Ducks have two Top 25 foes, the Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan Wolverines, left on their Big Ten schedule.
A 12-0 record may not get the Ducks into the CFB Playoff as a top-four team, though, because they will most likely meet the Ohio State-Penn State winner in the Big Ten title game.
A rematch with Ohio State could be the second of three potential meetings between the two sides depending on how the bracket shakes out.
As for Ohio State, it is still in good shape in the playoff conversation and a win over Penn State on November 2 would likely give the Buckeyes another shot at Oregon.
Texas in Pole Position to Win SEC
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Texas cruised to a 34-3 win over Oklahoma in the week before its biggest game of the season against Georgia.
The Longhorns looked like every bit of the No. 1 team in the country inside the Cotton Bowl against their archrival.
Bigger challenges will be ahead in the coming weeks for the Longhorns, but Saturday was an important hurdle to get over since the Sooners could have been a dangerous spoiler.
Texas will now turn its focus to its top contender in the SEC. The Longhorns host Georgia in a top-five clash next Saturday.
If the Longhorns win that contest, they will be the clear favorite to win the SEC and challenge for the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
The winner of the Big Ten will have a say in the fight for the No. 1 overall seed, but right now, it is Texas’ spot to lose.
Penn State Survives Upset Scare from USC
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Penn State picked up a statement win on the road at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Drew Allar led the Nittany Lions back from a 20-6 deficit to win 33-30 in overtime over USC.
USC was a weaker opponent on paper in Week 7 because of its two losses, but the Trojans still put up the fight of a Top 25 team.
Allar threw for 391 yards and star tight end Tyler Warren caught 17 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Penn State’s improved passing attack will help it contend with Oregon for the top spot in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions’ next test comes on November 2 at home against the Buckeyes, a game that could decide at least one of the participants in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Penn State does not have any other ranked opponents left on its schedule outside of Ohio State, so at minimum, it is expected to finish the regular season at 11-1.
Alabama Still Alive After Shaky Performance Against South Carolina
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Alabama flirted with danger at home against South Carolina on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide allowed 19 consecutive points to the Gamecocks after going up by 14 points.
Kalen DeBoer’s team eventually responded to earn the victory, but it left plenty of questions about how the Tide will navigate the tougher games left on their schedule.
Alabama has not looked good in the two weeks after its win over Georgia, but it can erase some of the concerns by taking down the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville next weekend.
A 6-1 record with two top-10 victories would do wonders for morale in Tuscaloosa, but for now, there are doubts on whether that can be achieved given the struggles against Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
