College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 7: Title Game Rematch on Tap

The wildest weekend of the college football season was nonstop drama from the noon slate all the way through to the final snap of the night out West, so naturally that had a massive impact on the way the postseason looks. As much focus as there is on the expansion to the College Football Playoff, this year there are still only 12 teams and the at-large spots are getting tight given the number of potential 10–2/9–3 teams in the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC.

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections going into Week 8, which sees some fascinating CFP matchups from the first round (Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire gets his much-anticipated game against Notre Dame) all the way through to a rematch of last year’s title game in Las Vegas. The rest of the postseason is full of equally fun games, from the possibility of Bill Belichick getting drenched in mayo against Penn State, another West Coast meeting between USC and Texas (in Vegas), an old Big Eight reunion in the Liberty Bowl and a heck of a FBS caper for North Dakota State against a fellow Group of 6 power in the desert.

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 7

1. BYU
2. Georgia
3. Indiana
4. Miami
5. UCLA
6. Mississippi
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Texas Tech
10. Kentucky
11. Iowa
12. Boise State

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA
• No. 11 Iowa at No. 6 Mississippi
• No. 10 Kentucky at No. 7 Ohio State
• No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Notre Dame

Quarterfinals

• Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 BYU vs. No. 8 Notre Dame
• Peach Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Ohio State
• Rose Bowl: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Mississippi
• Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 UCLA

Semifinals

• Orange Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Indiana
• Sugar Bowl: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Miami

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 4 Miami

Bowl Projections After Week 7

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