College Football Playoff: ESPN predicts 2024 12-team bracket, full bowl slate after Week 6
After the insanity of Week 6, ESPN's updates to their projections for the postseason saw significant shifts, including those throughout the dozen seeds for the College Football Playoff .
The biggest changes obviously came for those within the SEC. After having five teams projected in last week , the Southeastern Conference is down to four with several going down as far as seeding following three upsets.
With that, the Big Ten, with much focus now on the biggest game of the league's season so far coming up next weekend, and the ACC each saw teams of theirs move upward while the Big 12 added a new team in the latest from ESPN. There's also now an interesting new look in the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds.
Again, Saturday had results that, as one writer put it, made it "impossible to put together a playoff field that anyone can feel truly confident about". Still, here's how the playoff looks now for Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach following their update after the first weekend of October:
No. 12 Notre Dame No. 5 Oregon No. 12 Boise State No. 5 Oregon
Oregon has found itself over the past four weeks with three wins, including two over conference competition, by an average margin of 25.7 ppg.. That has them all the way up to the No. 5 seed now as the highest-rated at-large.
As for who they'd host, Bonagura and Schlabach disagree between Boise State out of the Mountain West or Notre Dame as an independent. That's of note as the Ducks have already played the Broncos at home earlier this season in what was a 37-34 victory. The Irish would also make for quite a matchup in Eugene.
No. 11 Boise State No. 6 Penn State No. 11 Notre Dame No. 6 Georgia
The No. 11 seed again comes down to either the Broncos or the Fighting Irish at ESPN.
Bonagura went with Boise State as they'd head out to Happy Valley to play Penn State. Schlabach instead had Notre Dame with them going down between the hedges to face off with Georgia.
No. 10 Iowa State No. 7 Alabama No. 10 Tennessee No. 7 Penn State
Following their loss this weekend, Alabama is now the No. 7 seed for Bonagura. That's a two-spot drop as they'd host his tenth seed in the Iowa State Cyclones.
Then, after their own defeat yesterday, Tennessee was down for Schlabach to No. 10. That has the Volunteers now going on the road in the playoff with him projecting them to play the Nittany Lions.
No. 9 Clemson No. 8 Georgia No. 9 Clemson No. 8 Alabama
Clemson is up one or two spots for both experts after a fourth-straight large win, including their first three in the ACC.
Still, that would mean quite the difficult opener for them according to ESPN. One has them going to Georgia, who is their only loss this season by a margin of 31 points, while the other has them going to Alabama, who was just previously the No. 1 seed for him in the week prior.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta BowlNo. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 BYU No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Iowa State
After opening win in the first round, Oregon would move on to a quarterfinal against the Big 12 Champion.
Bonagura still has it being the BYU Cougars after their undefeated start to this season. Schlabach, though, changed his out from last week as it's now the Iowa State Cyclones after they too are at five wins, including two in league play, with no losses to this point.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Peach BowlNo. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Miami No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Texas
Frankly, Miami has done all that they can in their past pair of games to not be in the No. 3 seed for the playoff as the ACC Champion. Still, after finding ways to get them both in the end in a four-point win over Virginia Tech and a one-point victory at California, The 'U remain in that spot to play Penn State.
Schlbach then re-slotted one of the bowls based on a technicality with this being where he placed No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Alabama.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl GameNo. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Ohio State has maintained their standing as the No. 2 overall seed in the playoff as the projected winner of the Big Ten Championship. That's even more legitimate now with two wins to open conference play by 31 and 28 points respectively.
In Pasadena, the Buckeyes would then play either 'Bama or a rematch from the regular season in the Nittany Lions.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar BowlNo. 8 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 3 Miami
Despite being on a bye this week, Texas is back up to being the No. 1 seed for the CFP at ESPN. For Bonagura, that leads to a potential third matchup for them against Georgia.
The technicality for Schlabach would be the placement of the Peach Bowl being in Atlanta, which would have Miami at a disadvantage. That's why the Peach Bowl and Sugar Bowl look that much different between the two experts.
CFP Semifinal at the Orange BowlNo. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Bonagura and Schlabach concur on their projections for the semifinals in the Orange Bowl. It's just a matter of which bowl where they end up.
For Bonagura, Texas advances as the No. 1 seed to face No. 5 Oregon, which is the same as Schlabach except in the Cotton Bowl Classic next. The Orange Bowl for him is then actually a rematch from the Peach Bowl in 2022.
CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl ClassicNo. 6 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas
ESPN's experts also agree in the opposite semifinal in Arlington.
The Buckeyes at No. 2 would play a kind of rematch at No. 6 against the Nittany Lions or the Bulldogs. This is then where you'll find the same matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Oregon.
CFP National ChampionshipNo. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Texas Schlabach: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Texas
After what happened on Saturday, the College Football Playoff has a new projection for the national championship at ESPN.
Bonagura and Schlabach think that it'll be a top-two matchup between Texas out of the SEC and Ohio State from the Big Ten in Atlanta. That would mean a title for either the Longhorns or Buckeyes based on where this sits entering the second month of the season.
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ESPN 2024 Bowl Season predictions after Week 4Celebration Bowl
Bonagura: Florida A&M vs. NC Central Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. NC Central
Camellia Bowl
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Schlabach: Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe
Frisco Bowl
Bonagura: Oregon State vs. South Florida Schlabach: Louisiana vs. North Texas
Boca Raton Bowl
Bonagura: UConn vs. Coastal Carolina Schlabach: Buffalo vs.
L.A. Bowl
Bonagura: California vs. Schlabach: California vs.
New Orleans Bowl
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Texas State Schlabach: Liberty vs. James Madison
Cure Bowl
Bonagura: Marshall vs. Jacksonville State Schlabach: South Florida vs. Coastal Carolina
Gasparilla Bowl
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina Schlabach: Boston College vs. South Carolina
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Bonagura: Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green Schlabach: Marshall vs.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Bonagura: Eastern Michigan vs. Fresno State Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. Fresno State
Hawaii Bowl
Bonagura: Sam Houston State vs. Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State
Detroit Bowl
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Schlabach: Toledo vs.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Schlabach: Iowa vs.
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. South Alabama Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia Southern
Birmingham Bowl
Bonagura: Vanderbilt vs. North Texas Schlabach: Vanderbilt vs. NC State
Armed Forces Bowl
Bonagura: James Madison vs. Schlabach: West Virginia vs.
Liberty Bowl
Bonagura: UCF vs. Schlabach: BYU vs.
Holiday Bowl
Bonagura: SMU vs. Washington State Schlabach: SMU vs.
Las Vegas Bowl
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Schlabach: Arkansas vs. Washington State
Fenway Bowl
Bonagura: Memphis vs. Schlabach: Memphis vs. Virginia Tech
Pinstripe Bowl
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Schlabach: Syracuse vs.
New Mexico Bowl
Bonagura: San José State vs. Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs.
Arizona Bowl
Bonagura: Ohio vs. Colorado State Schlabach: Central Michigan vs. San José State
Military Bowl
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Schlabach: Duke vs.
Alamo Bowl
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Schlabach: Kansas State vs.
Independence Bowl
Bonagura: TCU vs. Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Oregon State
Music City Bowl
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Schlabach: Michigan vs.
ReliaQuest Bowl
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Schlabach: Indiana vs. Ole Miss
Sun Bowl
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs.
Citrus Bowl
Bonagura: Indiana vs. Ole Miss Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
Texas Bowl
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Schlabach: Texas Tech vs.
Gator Bowl
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Texas A&M Schlabach: Louisville vs.
First Responder Bowl
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Schlabach: UCF vs.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bonagura: Duke vs. Schlabach: Virginia vs.
Bahamas Bowl
