College Football Playoff Predictions Week 5: Are the Gators Good Enough to Get In?

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The College Football Playoff predictions aren’t changing all that much going into Week 5, but now we know what we’re dealing with – the SEC is going to load the thing up, and the Big Ten teams are coming into view.

Last week we were bullish on Louisville, but a home loss to Wake Forest ended that. USC isn’t out after losing to Oregon, but it’s not looking the part, and Florida’s total dominance of Ole Miss was a gamechanger. Here is our latest call for what the College Football Playoff will be.

Predicted College Football Playoff Final Top 12 Ranking

*Means the team is projected to win its conference championship

1. Notre Dame

Projected Final Record: 12-0
The Irish rip through their schedule without a blip, including wins over BYU, Miami, and SMU to grab the No. 1 seed.

2. Georgia

Projected Final Record: 12-1*
There’s one blip along the way at Alabama or maybe at Ole Miss, but that’s it. The Dawgs avenge the loss – let’s go with the Tide – in the SEC Championship.

3. Ohio State

Projected Final Record: 12-1*
The Buckeyes don’t lose another game, including against Indiana – twice. The second time is in the Big Ten Championship.

4. Miami

Projected Final Record: 12-1*
The Hurricanes lose at Notre Dame, but that’s it. The rest of the schedule isn’t good enough to get higher than this.

5. Utah

Projected Final Record: 12-1*
There’s one loss along the way, but the Big 12 champion gets in as the only representative from the conference.

6. Alabama

Projected Final Record: 11-2
The Tide drop the date at LSU, but win everything else before losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship.

7. Indiana

Projected Final Record: 11-2
It won’t be a smooth ride, but the Hoosiers will get by everyone but Ohio State.

8. LSU

Projected Final Record: 10-2
No one’s losing to LSU in Baton Rouge, including Texas and Alabama, but Lane Kiffin loses his second trip to one of his old coaching gigs – at Tennessee, to go along with the earlier loss to Ole Miss.

9. Texas

Projected Final Record: 10-2
A loss at LSU, and a stubbed-toe home game against either Ole Miss, Florida, or Mississippi State will be enough to keep it out of the SEC Championship, but it’ll still get into the CFP.

10. Florida

Projected Final Record: 10-2
It’s time to believe this is all for real. The Gators lose at Texas and in the Cocktail Party against Georgia, but win everything else to get to ten wins and in.

11. Oregon

Projected Final Record: 10-2
The loss to Oklahoma State still matters, which is why it’s the last at-large team to get in. However, beating USC, UCLA, and Michigan will be good, and the loss at Ohio State won’t be that bad.

12. James Madison

Projected Final Record: 13-0*
There will be others in the mix, but the win over Liberty – the likely Conference USA champion – will get credit, and rolling through the Sun Belt unbeaten will be enough to get the Group of Six’s automatic spot.

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