- Penn State and Texas suffered surprising losses, significantly altering the College Football Playoff forecast.
- Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech are new entrants into the projected 12-team playoff field.
- Georgia Tech’s easy schedule could create a dilemma for the selection committee if they finish with a strong record.
Fall is the season of change. And it should be no surprise that we’re seeing massive changes to the College Football Playoff picture each weekend in the season bridging summer and winter.
Week 6 brought more carnage to the forecast with a shocking loss by Penn State and an unexpected slip up from Texas leading the way. There was also unbeaten Iowa State falling at Cincinnati that created another switch in the Big 12 representative to the 12-team field.
So who benefits from the changes? The first is Oklahoma. The Sooners, despite an injury to quarterback John Mateer and a difficult schedule, next face rival Texas with an opportunity to further solidify their spot.
Also joining the playoff field is Georgia Tech. The unbeaten Yellow Jackets look set to cause a dilemma for the committee given an easy ACC schedule that makes them a favorite to reach the conference title game. What happens if they go 11-0 before losses to Georgia and Miami? Would that better an SEC team at 9-3. We saw this debate last season with SMU. For now, we’ll slot Georgia Tech in there, but this is one worth watching.
Lastly, Texas Tech is the beneficiary of the Iowa State loss. The Red Raiders have impressive road wins at Utah and Houston ahead as they enter the second half of their schedule the favorites to win the Big 12.
Week 7 is sure to bring more changes with a loaded schedule matching some of the playoff contenders.
Note: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.