College Football Playoff Prediction: ESPN projects CFP Top 12 rankings after Week 7

The college football regular season is halfway complete. Yet, the College Football Playoff picture is still far from clear. On Sunday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich did her best to predict the end-of-year CFP rankings. She also revealed her updated 12-team bracket projection.

Week 7 gave Dinich no shortage of wild outcomes to consider. Seven teams ranked in the AP Top 25 suffered losses this weekend. Five of those losses were against unranked opponents.

Alas, other teams kept their foot on the gas and only bolstered their CFP résumé. With so much to cover, let’s dive into ESPN’s projected CFP rankings.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (+1)

Ohio State reclaimed its spot atop Dinich’s CFP rankings after defeating No. 17 Illinois 34-16 on Saturday. In the win, the Buckeyes’ defense continued to look like one of the best in college football, holding the Fighting Illini to 294 total yards and forcing three turnovers.

Ohio State’s offense wasn’t nearly as excellent in the win, but it got the job done. Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had a quiet day, only tallying 42 receiving yards and a touchdown in the triumph.

2. Miami Hurricanes (-1)

Miami fell one spot in Dinich’s rankings this week through no fault of its own. The Hurricanes enjoyed a bye this weekend after downing Florida State 28-22 in Week 6.

The Hurricanes have one of the best résumés in the nation this season thus far. They boast three wins over ranked opponents and a victory against the Florida Gators, who defeated Texas in Week 6.

3. Indiana Hoosiers (+6)

Indiana is the real deal. On Saturday, the Hoosiers marched into Autzen Stadium and handed Oregon a 30-20 upset loss. The Hoosiers’ victory snapped Oregon’s 18-game winning streak at home, which was the longest active streak in the country.

Indiana’s defense was suffocating. The unit sacked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore six times and picked him off twice. In total, Oregon only managed to record 267 yards against Indiana. Meanwhile, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza was responsible for 246 yards of offense himself.

4. Texas A&M Aggies

While other SEC teams waver, Texas A&M hasn’t shown any signs of weakness. On Saturday, the Aggies handily defeated Florida 34-17. As previously mentioned, the Gators were coming off a win over Texas and had plenty of momentum on their side.

Nonetheless, Texas A&M looked unaffected as it piled on 183 rushing yards in the win. QB Marcel Reed was also solid, completing 16-of-his-26 pass attempts for 234 yards and a touchdown, while running in another.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (+1)

Since suffering a season-opening loss against Florida State, Alabama has appeared to be on a mission for nothing short of excellence. The Crimson Tide were successful again on Saturday with a nail-biting 27-24 win over No. 14 Missouri on the road.

It was a 12-round slugfest between the two teams, but Alabama QB Ty Simpson ultimately proved to be a prizefighter in the victory. He finished the game with 200 passing yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception.

6. Ole Miss Rebels (-1)

Ole Miss escaped Saturday with a win, but its 24-21 victory over Washington State didn’t exactly inspire confidence in analysts. Washington State led for the majority of the game before Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss ran in a 14-yard touchdown to give the Rebels a lead late in the third quarter.

Ole Miss is 6-0 and 3-0 in conference play, but still doesn’t have as many quality wins as some of its counterparts on Dinich’s list. With Georgia and Oklahoma up next on its schedule, Ole Miss will have plenty of opportunities to prove it’s worthy of a spot in the CFP.

7. Georgia Bulldogs (+1)

Georgia’s record isn’t spotless, but it’s looked strong the past two weeks. Most recently, the Bulldogs defeated Auburn 20-10 on Saturday. In the win, Georgia’s offense didn’t look like a well-oiled machine, but its defense was stellar.

The Bulldogs held Auburn to just 278 total yards and force a goal-line fumble to ultimately secure the win. If Georgia wants to make a run for the national title this season, it’ll need its offense to rediscover its rhythm in the back half of the regular season.

8. Oregon Ducks (-5)

Oregon fell far in Dinich’s CFP rankings this week following 30-20 loss to Indiana. It was a mistake-ridden showing for the Ducks, who committed seven penalties for a total loss of 64 yards.

Though the loss wasn’t the result the Ducks were hoping for on Saturday, it isn’t a season-ending moment, either. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning emphasized this point after the game and affirmed his team will bounce back from the loss.

9. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+1)

Texas Tech made significant NIL investments in its football program this offseason and it’s paying off. The Red Raiders are 6-0 are ranked top 10 in the country for the first time since 2013.

Texas Tech strolled to a 42-17 win over Kansas on Saturday. Running back Cameron Dickey was especially fantastic. Dickey racked up a jaw-dropping 263 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the win. All eyes will be on Texas Tech QB Behren Morton, who left the game with an injury.

10. Oklahoma Sooners (-3)

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer opted to play in the Red River Rivalry game on Saturday after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand just 17 days prior. Mateer didn’t have a heroic comeback, with Oklahoma falling 23-6 to the Longhorns.

In the loss, Mateer only completed 20-of-his-38 pass attempts for 202 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown pass, but did toss three interceptions in the loss. Mateer didn’t blame his hand for his lackluster performance, but he didn’t appear to be the SEC Player of the Year candidate he was before the injury.

11. LSU Tigers (+1)

On Saturday, LSU bounced back from its Week 6 loss to Ole Miss with a convincing 20-10 victory over South Carolina. It was a resilient performance from the Tigers, who had to overcome three turnovers to pull out the win.

LSU never grew discouraged and its defense held up long enough for the team’s offense to find its footing. The Tigers’ defense squeezed two turnovers out of the Gamecocks and limited standout QB LaNorris Sellers to just 124 passing yards.

12. Tennessee Volunteers (-1)

Tennessee’s wins haven’t come easy this season, but perhaps the Volunteers’ grueling battles will prepare them for the CFP. On Saturday, Tennessee had to claw its way to a 34-31 victory against Arkansas.

With interim coach Bobby Petrino leading Arkansas into battle, the Razorbacks were hungrier than ever for a win. Yet, Arkansas had no answers for Tennessee running back Desean Bishop, who logged a career-high 146 rushing and a score on just 14 carries.

ESPN College Football Playoff bracket projection

First-round byes

No. 1 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 2 Miami (ACC champ)
No. 3 Indiana
No. 4 Texas A&M (SEC champ)

First-round games

On campus, Dec. 19 and 20

No. 12 South Florida (American champ) at No. 5 Alabama
No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Georgia
No. 9 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ) at No. 8 Oregon

Quarterfinal games

At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

No. 12 South Florida/No. 5 Alabama winner vs. No. 4 Texas A&M
No. 11 LSU/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Indiana
No. 10 Oklahoma/No. 7 Georgia winner vs. No. 2 Miami
No. 9 Texas Tech/No. 8 Oregon winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State