College Football Playoff Bracket Week 1 Live Projections: USC, Miami Make Early Statements

Throughout Saturday’s slate, Sports Illustrated will give an updated look at the playoff seeding and matchups.

USC running back Deshonne Redeaux scores a five-yard touchdown against Fresno State on Friday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After last week’s lovely Week Zero appetizer and some midweek action from coast to coast, the first full Saturday of the season is upon us!

As usual, the chase for the College Football Playoff will be top of mind for many fan bases in 2026 and the road to Las Vegas is full of hopeful contenders as Week 1 gets underway. It’s not the most intense slate of matchups on tap this weekend, but it features plenty of games which will have significant implications that the selection committee will be paying close attention to.

Using the Sports Illustrated preseason projections, and based on some of the early looks at teams, here’s how the bracket looks before kickoff.  

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Live Week 1 College Football Playoff Bracket

1. Notre Dame
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Indiana 
5. Ohio State
6. Miami
7. Texas 
8. LSU
9. Mississippi
10. USC
11. BYU
12. Boise State

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State
• No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Miami
• No. 10 USC at No. 7 Texas
• No. 9 Mississippi at No. 8 LSU

Quarterfinals

• Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Indiana vs. winner of No. 12 Boise State vs. No. 5 Ohio State
• Peach Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 11 BYU vs. No. 6 Miami
• Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon vs. winner of No. 10 USC vs. No. 7 Texas
• Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. winner of No. 9 Mississippi vs. No. 8 LSU

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No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State

The Buckeyes top the polls and should have no trouble in their opener against Ball State, which will serve as a preseason game to warm up for their trip to Austin next week. That game against Texas should help shape who one of the real early favorites for the national title will be. As for the Broncos, the newfound Pac-12 member will begin the season as the default selection to nab the Group of 6 bid but face stiff competition from teams like Memphis.

No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Miami 

Until we get a good look at Texas Tech and its quarterback situation, the Cougars are SI’s early pick to win the Big 12 and get over the hump of making the playoff. Meanwhile, last season’s national runner-up, Miami, got off to a flying start in the Bay Area on Friday night as Malachi Toney’s Heisman Trophy campaign looks alive and well after torching the Cardinal. Good luck to the rest of the ACC handling the Hurricanes if they’re going to keep playing like that. 

No. 10 USC at No. 7 Texas

Lincoln Riley apparently heard enough about the closer than expected score from Week Zero and kept the starters in long enough against Fresno State to notch an impressive shutout on Friday night. Combined with an offense that has seen plenty of freshmen look the part, the Trojans appear to be firmly in the mix as one of the contenders in the Big Ten early on. As for the Longhorns, we’ll get a better sense of Arch Manning’s progress under center and the team’s depth under Steve Sarkisian next week against Ohio State.

No. 9 Mississippi at No. 8 LSU

Trinidad Chambliss might be the face of college football and we’ll have to wait an extra day to see him in action for what is this week’s only ranked-vs.-ranked matchup against Louisville. Until then, his old coach Lane Kiffin seems to have no issue soaking up all the headlines from the slew of antics emerging out of Baton Rouge prior to the Tigers’ game against Clemson.

Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Indiana

How will new quarterback Josh Hoover look in replacing the Heisman Trophy winner in Bloomington, Ind.? That will be worth paying attention to closely as the Hoosiers hang a banner and kick their season off against a very new-look North Texas.

Peach Bowl: No. 3 Georgia

What a strange offseason it was given the buzz around the Bulldogs has been close to nothing at all. The youngest team in the sport will have no issue for the start of nonconference play this week, but plenty of tests await in SEC play.

Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon

The Ducks’ record against Boise State isn’t as good as you would think over the years but if this team is truly a national title contender like everyone believes, they should have no issues at Autzen Stadium this weekend. 

Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame

The biggest chip on the shoulder of any team is probably on the Irish after the way things went down at the end of last season and being left out of the playoff. We’ll see if that gets channeled into the matchup at Lambeau Field on Sunday against a much improved Wisconsin side. 

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