College Football Playoff Bracket Week 13 Live Projections: Conference Title Games Taking Shape

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

Oregon defensive backs Ify Obidegwu, left, and Jadon Canady celebrate against USC. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Big Ten title game could be decided in Week 13, and there are meaningful games up and down the college football schedule. Throughout Saturday’s slate, Sports Illustrated will give an updated look at the playoff seeding and matchups.

Update at 8 p.m. ET Saturday:

It’s always the “light” weekends when there are not a lot of compelling matchups where college football turns the chaos up a few notches, and Saturday was reflective of that. Utah improbably came back to beat Kansas State at Rice-Eccles Stadium to keep its College Football Playoff hopes on life support, Oregon moved a step closer to the postseason bracket by holding off USC in a wild game at Autzen Stadium, SMU remained alive in the ACC and the Group of 5 featured a half-dozen thrilling last-minute finishes. 

Of particular interest to the selection committee before the prime-time games kicked off were the true Pac-12 championship game between the Ducks and Trojans and the final score of the Notre Dame game. The top 15 victory over USC should give Oregon an opportunity to jump over a Mississippi program in disarray this week and draw Dan Lanning’s team a more favorable seed against the eventual ACC champion. 

Then there’s the case of the Oklahoma–Notre Dame debate when it comes to who could get the final home game in the first round. There’s no question that the committee has been impressed with the Irish as they’ve run off nine straight wins and the pasting of Syracuse on Saturday should only add to that love. While Oklahoma has the superior résumé by any measure, this edition of the committee has not put much stock in that so if we’re going off the eye test, then the Irish will flip spots with Brent Venables’s team hosting their No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup in the playoff after Week 13.

Finally, it’s still very early in Atlanta for Pittsburgh–Georgia Tech but given how one-sided that game has been so far, it’s time to swap out the Yellow Jackets for Virginia as the ACC representative. 

Update at 7 a.m. ET Saturday:

Welcome to the penultimate weekend of the regular season, which is more or less the equivalent of moving day in a golf tournament given the positioning teams are trying to do for one final push into the College Football Playoff bracket. 

With a light slate in the SEC during Week 13 and a lack of impact midweek results, this is a massive opportunity for several programs to potentially jockey for at-large consideration with big wins or, perhaps, to lock up a first-round game at home for a few others. 

Here’s how the bracket looks going into what should be an eventful Saturday in the sport from coast to coast. 

Get SI's College Football Newsletter. dark. FREE. SI College Football Newsletter

Live Week 13 College Football Playoff Bracket

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia 
5. Texas Tech
6. Oregon
7. Mississippi 
8. Notre Dame
9. Oklahoma
10. Alabama
11. Virginia
12. Tulane

First Round

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Oregon
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Notre Dame

Quarterfinals

Orange Bowl: No. 4 Georgia vs. winner of No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. winner of No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Oregon
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Indiana vs. winner of No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Notre Dame

---

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech

The Red Raiders will have to wait until next week’s game at West Virginia to lock up their first berth in the Big 12 championship game. At this point, Joey McGuire’s team might have the most favorable path with the five-seed where it can meet a Tulane team that will need to fight off North Texas in the American for the Group of 5 bid.

No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Oregon 

Miami is the highest-ranked ACC team, but it’s much more complicated for the league now given what Pitt did in beating Georgia Tech to set up a chaotic final week where every result may wind up mattering. Virginia is off this weekend but is primed to make it to Charlotte for the league title game as long as they beat Virginia Tech next Saturday. The Ducks registered their marquee victory of the season by topping USC, which should be enough to leapfrog idle Ole Miss as Lane Kiffin watch continues. 

No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi

The Crimson Tide predictably rolled against a hapless FCS opponent and can now turn their attention to the Iron Bowl. It will be interesting to hear what the committee has to say about the Rebels next Tuesday and if the Kiffin fiasco has any impact on how they view the team. 

No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Notre Dame

The Sooners defense continues to carry the team toward the playoff, clamping down on Missouri to set up a win-and-in scenario next week in Norman, Okla., against LSU. After putting up a 70-burger against Syracuse (on just 39 offensive plays!), it might be time to start thinking that Notre Dame Stadium could host another first-round CFP game because that result will be hard to ignore given how the Oklahoma offense has fared of late.

Orange Bowl: No. 4 Georgia

It was a glorified scrimmage Saturday for Georgia against lowly Charlotte as all eyes turn to that game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech which will ultimately determine the Bulldogs’ seed in the bracket.

Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas A&M

The Aggies locked up their head coach to a new contract last week and their athletic director to the same this week. Add in locking up a CFP bid and all that’s left now is to beat rival Texas in Austin to go to the SEC title game for the first time.

Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Indiana

There’s now a Curt Cignetti “Google Me” bobblehead for sale and one of them might be put in charge of the team next week for the second half against Purdue if the Hoosiers take care of business in West Lafayette, Ind., before making that coveted trip up the road to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game. 

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State

Michigan week has arrived in Columbus, Ohio, after dispatching Rutgers with ease. One has to figure that both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will be good to go for that one after resting up the past few weeks.

---

More College Football from Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

feed