College Football Playoff bracket: What 12-team field looks like after new rankings

Where things stand in the latest College Football Playoff bracket projection after the committee revealed its penultimate top 25 rankings leading into Championship Week.

A new look at the College Football Playoff bracket projection after the latest rankings release heading into Championship Week. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Where things stand in the latest College Football Playoff bracket projection as the Selection Committee reveals its penultimate top 25 rankings moving into Championship Weekend with plenty to still sort out.

As it stands now, Oregon and Texas are just one win away -- against Penn State and Georgia, respectively -- from clinching two of the top seeds and first-round byes in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

SMU emerged as the new projected ACC champion after Miami’s loss to Syracuse, and Boise State further entrenched its position as the expected No. 4 seed as the committee expects the Broncos, which face UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game, will be higher ranked than the eventual Big 12 champion.

One new contender in the mix this week is Alabama, once thought to have played itself out of the final dozen, but which profited from Miami’s drop and is now in line to secure an at-large bid.

Here’s your look at how the latest College Football Playoff bracket looks after the selection committee revealed its second-to-last rankings before Selection Day.

College Football Playoff bracket

First round byes

1. Oregon. The Ducks are the last undefeated team in FBS and should be in the playoff no matter what happens in the Big Ten title game against Penn State, but a win clinches the top seed.

2. Texas. A win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game not only avenges the Longhorns’ only loss of the season, but should secure the No. 2 seed in the playoff, as well.

3. SMU. Miami’s loss now makes the Mustangs the highest-ranked team in the ACC, and they’ll face a very inspired Clemson team for the conference championship.

4. Boise State. Still the committee’s favorite Group of Five team, the Broncos are slight favorites against UNLV for the Mountain West title, and could face playoff elimination with a loss there.

First round games

No. 12 Arizona State at
No. 5 Penn State

The presumptive Big 12 champion Sun Devils trounced Arizona in the finale and will face challenger Iowa State, with the winner set to receive an automatic bid, but likely lower than Boise State and thus not earning a first-round bye.

Penn State is a narrow underdog against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, a place it clinched after Ohio State’s loss to Michigan.

Winner plays No. 4 Boise State

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No. 9 Tennessee at
No. 8 Ohio State

A decision that will certainly irk SEC fans is the Volunteers going on the road to play the Buckeyes in this projection, a choice the committee made likely with that two-score loss to Georgia in mind.

Ohio State won’t play for the Big Ten title after the stunning loss to Michigan, but the selectors still favor the rest of this team’s resume enough to give it a home game in the first round.

Winner plays No. 1 Oregon

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No. 10 Indiana at
No. 7 Georgia

Critics still question Indiana’s strength of schedule, but it has played dominantly against those teams, culminating in a 66-0 victory against Purdue. Its reward is a projected game on the road in one of college football’s most intense environments.

Georgia awaits between the hedges coming off an eight-overtime win against Georgia Tech and has a date against Texas in the SEC Championship Game that will help determine seeding.

Winner plays No. 2 Texas

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No. 11 Alabama at
No. 6 Notre Dame

As things stand now, the Crimson Tide are among the top dozen to play for the national championship, and will go on the road in the cold in the House that Rockne Built.

Notre Dame doesn’t have a conference title to play for, so will never earn a top-four seed, but gets the second-best result here, playing at home in the first round, albeit against an SEC powerhouse.

Winner plays No. 3 SMU

More ... The complete College Football Playoff rankings for Championship Week

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