Predicting the College Football Playoff after Tulane wins the American title

Tulane should earn a place in the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. Here's what the field could look like based on our current projections.

Here's what the College Football Playoff could look like after Tulane beat North Texas to win the American championship. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

All that Tulane had to do was take down North Texas to win the American Conference championship, and it was all but assured a place in the College Football Playoff picture.

That they did, coming off a strong defensive performance to all but clinch what should be the highest position among Group of Five teams in the forthcoming CFP rankings as Selection Day draws near.

Coming into Championship Week, there was some newfound confusion around the final two seeds in the latest playoff bracket, with the committee leaving them blank as they await developments in the Group of Five and the ACC Championship Game.

With still plenty of football yet to be played this weekend, here is our latest projection for what the playoff field will look like after Tulane won the American title.

Predicting the College Football Playoff field after Tulane’s win

Let's take a shot at predicting the new College Football Playoff bracket after Tulane won the American. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

1. Ohio State. Our current projection is that the Buckeyes are able to stay undefeated and pass the test against perfect Indiana to win the Big Ten championship on the back of the top-ranked defense in college football and secure the No. 1 seed.

2. Georgia. Kirby Smart may be 1-7 against Alabama, but his defense could have a decisive advantage against a Crimson Tide offense that doesn’t look like its dominant self to win the SEC championship for a second-straight season.

3. Texas Tech. Arguably college football’s best defense, and inarguably the best in school history, should still have an edge against a BYU team it beat by 22 points a couple weeks ago, this time to win the Big 12 championship.

4. Indiana. The projected loss we foresee against the Buckeyes should be very close, within the narrow point spread, enough to stay tucked inside the top four for a team that has looked unstoppable and leads the nation in scoring margin this season.

5. Oregon. The one-loss Ducks should stay in the top-five, but behind the Indiana team that gave them that loss, by 10 points at Eugene earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU didn’t hurt the Rebels’ position in the rankings, and they should stay in the picture to host a first-round game.

7. Texas A&M. No shot at the SEC championship after that loss against rival Texas, but the Aggies have done enough to warrant hosting a first-round game.

8. Oklahoma. The Sooners, especially their smothering defense, made a statement in the latter half of the season to move into the right side of the playoff bracket.

9. Notre Dame. A loss by Alabama should enable the Irish to move up one spot, even if arguments still persist, and credibly so, that Miami might deserve it more given its head to head win over the Golden Domers and their comparable resumes.

10. Alabama. Despite there being other teams on the bubble that could have an argument -- namely BYU, Miami, Texas, and Vanderbilt -- the selectors will prefer the loser of the SEC Championship Game over them, provided it’s close to make that decision easier.

11. Virginia. James Madison fans are cheering for Duke to beat Virginia for the ACC championship, but that’s not a result we expect, allowing the Cavaliers to sneak in at the bottom of the field. If Duke does it, Tulane moves to 11 and James Madison to 12.

12. Tulane. An inspired defense and some help from a hapless North Texas offense allowed the Green Wave to win the American Conference championship to secure the highest position in the rankings by any Group of Five team.

What the College Football Playoff bracket could look like

A look at the latest College Football Playoff bracket prediction. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

First Round Games

12 Tulane at 5 Oregon
Winner plays 4 Indiana

11 Virginia at 6 Ole Miss
Winner plays 3 Texas Tech

10 Alabama at 7 Texas A&M
Winner plays 2 Georgia

9 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma
Winner plays 1 Ohio State