College Football Playoff: CBS Sports predicts 12-team CFP bracket, full bowl slate projections after Week 9

Week 9 of the college football season delivered yet another exciting slate of games this weekend. Outcomes that now have even higher stakes as the month of November looms and the postseason picture continues to becomes more clear.

Five ranked teams took losses this weekend and several other top programs secured major wins. Both of which will have a significant impact on how the College Football Playoff and bowl game schedule looks when the regular season is all said and done.

The first College Football Playoff Poll will be released next week, but that didn’t stop CBS Sports from forecasting what the 12-team playoff bracket and all of the bowl games will look like. Check out their postseason projections following Week 9 of the college football season below.

1. Georgia

Georgia remains at the top of the rankings after having a bye in Week 9. Getting some much-needed rest heading into their rivalry games against Florida this weekend in Jacksonville.

The Bulldogs arguably have one of the best wins in the nation after defeating top-ranked Texas on the road in Week 8. A 30-15 victory that featured a first half shutout and made them the favorites to win the SEC title and secure a first-round playoff bye.

2. Ohio State

The Buckeyes have not played their best football as of late, but that didn’t stop CBS from still crowning them as the eventual Big Ten champions. Winning narrowly over Nebraska at home this weekend fresh off of a bye week and their lone loss of the season on the road against Oregon.

Things will not get any easier for Ohio State this upcoming Saturday when they travel to No. 3 ranked Penn State. An outcome that will either solidify their claim as the top team in the conference or make outsiders question their credibility.

3. Miami

Another week, another impressive victory for the Miami Hurricanes. Who remained undefeated on Saturday with a 36-14 win over rival Florida State, breaking a three-game losing streak to the Seminoles.

It’s certainly a special time in Coral Gables as the Hurricanes sit firmly in the ACC driver seat and rank within the top five for the first time since 2017. Led by Cam Ward, who many have crowned the best quarterback in college football.

4. Iowa State

Rounding out the Power Four automatic bid conference champions is Iowa State from the Big 12. Another team coming off of a bye week that has also remained undefeated in one of the most unpredictable conferences in college football.

The Cyclones are led by the best defense in their conference, a unit that’s held opponents to just 14.4 points per game. But with another undefeated team lurking in the Big 12 and several others in the mix, nobody seems safe in the league.

No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Oregon

A Boise State and Oregon rematch has been set in stone as the most frequently predicted first-round playoff matchup by CBS Sports this season. With both teams coming off major wins this weekend to help their playoff claims.

The Ducks further established themselves as the nation’s top-ranked team following a 29-point win over No. 20 Illinois. While Boise State’s win over UNLV represented one of the biggest wins in the Group of Five this season as the Broncos remain the highest-ranked non-Power Four team.

No. 9 Texas A&M (+2) at No. 8 Penn State (-1)

The first two movers of the CBS projections come at the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in what would be an exciting matchup regardless of who was hosting. But in this scenario, Texas A&M visits Happy Valley for a playoff game against Penn State.

The Aggies jump up two spots in the rankings following an impressive win over a top 10-ranked LSU team. And while the Nittany Lions also won on Saturday in a road game against Wisconsin, but an injury to starting quarterback Drew Allar or other teams possibly looking a little better this weekend drops them just one spot.

No. 11 Clemson (-1) at No. 6 Texas

Clemson also dropped one spot in the CBS playoff projection after having a bye this week. A team that’s completely turned things around following a disappointing Week 1 loss to Georgia with six straight wins and one of the best offenses in the nation.

After dropping out of the No. 1 seed following a loss to Georgia, the Longhorns now remain at No. 6 in a position to potentially host a playoff game. Beating Vanderbilt this weekend by just three points which came with some slight concerns in Austin.

No. 10 Alabama (-2) at No. 7 BYU (+2)

Alabama had their most dominant SEC win of the season on Saturday with a 34-0 victory over an undermanned Missouri team. But instead of hosting the Cougars in the first round, CBS has the Crimson Tide now taking a trip to Provo instead.

BYU remains undefeated and goes up two spots following a road win over UCF where they excelled in all three phases of the game. Poised to compete with Iowa State for the Big 12 title as the two top contenders in the league.

Remaining Postseason Bowl Projections after playoff

Jan. 4

Bahamas Bowl: Jacksonville State vs. Western Michigan

Jan 3.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Duke vs. Michigan
First Responder Bowl: Navy vs. Georgia Southern

Jan. 2

Gator Bowl: SMU vs. Tennessee

Dec. 31

Texas Bowl: Texas Tech vs. LSU
Citrus Bowl: Indiana vs. Missouri
Sun Bowl: Louisville vs. Arizona State
ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Ole Miss

Dec. 30

Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Arkansas

Dec. 28

Independence Bowl: Army vs. Texas State
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. Washington State
Military Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Memphis
Arizona Bowl: Fresno State vs. Bowling Green
Pop-Tarts Bowl: Notre Dame vs. TCU
New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State vs. North Texas
Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Fenway Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

Dec. 27

Las Vegas Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Colorado
Holiday Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State
Liberty Bowl: West Virginia vs. Tulane
Birmingham Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. North Carolina
Armed Forces Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Charlotte

Dec. 26

68 Ventures Bowl: Buffalo vs. Arkansas State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Baylor vs. Nebraska
Detroit Bowl: Michigan State vs. Eastern Michigan

Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl: Old Dominion vs. Sam Houston State

Dec. 23

Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Colorado State
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Liberty vs. James Madison

Dec. 20

Gasparilla Bowl:  South Alabama vs. Wake Forest
Cure Bowl: East Carolina vs. Marshall

Dec. 19

New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana

Dec. 18

Los Angeles Bowl: UNLV vs. USC
Boca Raton Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. UConn

Dec. 17

Frisco Bowl: UCF vs. Northern Illinois

Dec. 14

Camellia Bowl: Toledo vs. Wisconsin