College Football Playoff Bracket Week 4 Live Projections: Battle for UT Moniker Underway

Throughout Saturday’s games, Sports Illustrated projects the playoff seeding and matchups.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns face Tennessee in an early game Saturday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Update at noon ET on Saturday

The arrival of conference play for most teams across the country means the College Football Playoff chase is set to see plenty of upheaval as teams jockey for both league and CFP positioning. There are a number of massive games on tap that should decide who is in and who is out of the field, plus a slew of contests that may have a lasting impact for seeding programs for an all-important home game.

With that in mind, here’s how the bracket looks at the start of a busy Saturday in Week 4. 

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Live Week 4 College Football Playoff Bracket

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

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Notre Dame
• No. 11 USC at No. 6 Ohio State
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Indiana
• No. 9 BYU at No. 8 LSU

Quarterfinals

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

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No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Notre Dame

The Broncos have been the Group of 6 leader from the start of the season and they can put a stranglehold on the CFP bid if they can go into Kalamazoo, Mich., and knock off MAC favorite Western Michigan. Notre Dame hasn’t quite put together a full four quarters yet this season, but trips to Purdue and North Carolina over the next two weeks present a great opportunity for this talented roster to do so.

No. 11 USC at No. 6 Ohio State 

There is little question that Saturday night’s game against Oregon is a defining one for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. If they can beat the Ducks right now to put their playoff hopes on thin ice, when will they be able to? Fellow Big Ten side Ohio State doesn’t have an existential game ahead of it against Illinois, but a convincing win in its conference opener could reestablish the Buckeyes as the program to beat.

No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Indiana

This is a big two-week stretch for Alabama against opponents the Tide certainly can’t take lightly, especially given the quarterbacks they’ll be up against like LaNorris Sellers on Saturday. Curt Cignetti, meanwhile, can’t be terribly happy at how the Hoosiers played on both sides of the ball against Northwestern in a game that was much closer than it should have been. If there was a silver lining, it’s the emergence of tailback Lee Beebe Jr., who looks like a bona fide star who could play a massive role for the reigning champions.

No. 9 BYU at No. 8 LSU

Few CFP matchups would present a fan base disparity quite like this one, but it would be worth watching between the lines. The Cougars appear to be the class of the Big 12 and will have time to rest up on Saturday ahead of a critical stretch that could be season-defining between trips to TCU and their home game against Notre Dame later in October. As for the Tigers, they probably didn’t expect to be looking at a CFP elimination game in late September but that could be what is on tap as they host Texas A&M at night in Death Valley.

Rose Bowl: No. 4 Georgia

We’ll finally get a look at the Bulldogs against an opponent with a pulse this week as Oklahoma arrives between the hedges. While you would initially be drawn to seeing what Kirby Smart has in store defensively for John Mateer, the more interesting matchup for Georgia’s CFP outlook might be to see if their offense can keep rolling against a still stingy Sooners crew.  

Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Miami

The injury report has to be top of mind for Mario Cristobal going into what should be an easy win against Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes have lost a host of starters already this season despite their hot start and will need them back as ACC play begins next weekend at rival Clemson.

Peach Bowl: No. 2 Mississippi

It’s natural for the Rebels to have a bit of a let down after exacting a measure of revenge against Lane Kiffin, but you just know that Pete Golding has been preaching all week that his team is an underdog going into the Swamp. If Ole Miss can prevail by the time the sun sets this weekend, they may have the three best wins in the country that few will be able to match before Halloween. 

Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Texas

The first of at least two Manning Bowls this season might be the most interesting as Arch & Co. head to Knoxville for a high noon showdown between schools laying claim to the UT moniker. Road games have been a bit of a test for the Longhorns in the past, but they can solidify their claim on the top ranking with a victory at Neyland Stadium.

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