Forget Texas: New College Football Powerhouse Claims No. 1 Playoff Seed

There’s a new No. 1 team in the college football rankings after Texas completed a comeback for the ages to take down Ohio State, but will that result ultimately translate when the College Football Playoff selection committee sets out their bracket?

With still plenty of football to be played, we’re a long way from knowing what the selectors will think about everything, but there’s also enough evidence from this year’s national championship contenders to get an early idea of who sits where.

Who sits in that No. 1 seed? It may not be the No. 1 team in the AP poll right now…

Projecting the College Football Playoff Field After Week 2

Forget Texas: New College Football Powerhouse Claims No. 1 Playoff Seed — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 1 Miami

ACC champion. Maybe no other offense has performed as well as the Hurricanes’ with Darian Mensah working under center, putting up such numbers that they might legitimately not be challenged until the end of the season at Notre Dame. There’s a big gulf between Miami and the rest of this conference.

No. 2. Georgia

SEC champion. Likewise for the Bulldogs’ offense, which has dominated admittedly overmatched opponents. Relative weaknesses will become more apparent against SEC opponents, but top to bottom this looks like the class of the league still.

No. 3 Ohio State

Big Ten champion. The apparent decline of Oregon makes the Buckeyes’ case as the conference champion even more clear, even when considering their losses on defense and some tough road games yet to be played.

No. 4 Notre Dame

While critics may think the Irish lucked out with this schedule, it bears reminding that they’ll play BYU, Miami, and SMU in the near future, matchups where we’ll really see whether this is the playoff roster it’s been advertised as.

No. 5 Texas

SEC runner-up. Selectors will likely prefer the second-best team from the SEC to the second-best team from the Big Ten, and with a win over the former No. 1 Buckeyes in their back pocket, there’s more breathing room for the Longhorns as they face potentially six ranked opponents this season.

No. 6 Texas Tech

Big 12 champion. Don’t call it a two-quarterback offense, but the addition of Tommy Castellanos gives the Red Raiders something else to throw at opponents.

No. 7 Indiana

Big Ten runner-up. The Hoosiers crushed their first two opponents and will likely do the same right up until mid-October when they go to Nebraska.

No. 8 LSU

Sam Leavitt commands a potent offense that can stretch the field and the Tigers can throw elbows up front defensively, but the jury’s still out on how well they can match SEC defenses physically up front running the ball, which could keep them out of the conference title picture this year.

No. 9 SMU

ACC runner-up. The Mustangs’ position as a playoff contender will be tested this weekend on the road against a ranked Louisville, but so far quarterback Kevin Jennings and this defense look the part in contending for, if not winning, the ACC title.

No. 10 Alabama

Some good returns so far from Alabama’s defense, and dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell has given the offense some explosive quality, but the Crimson Tide still has prove they can move people around up front and run the ball with more power.

No. 11 USC

This could be the year Lincoln Riley and the Trojans finally supplant Oregon as a playoff entrant from the Big Ten, consolidating their gains on offense with Jayden Maiava at quarterback and taking early important steps towards playing a more cohesive defense with Gary Patterson at the helm of the unit.

No. 12 Boise State

Highest ranked Group of Six champion. That showing in a seven-point loss at Oregon is still impressive even after the Ducks’ loss the following week, and it won convincingly against undefeated G6 hopeful Memphis last time out.

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