Oregon has ascended to the top spot in the projected College Football Playoff bracket as of Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
The Ducks solidified their position after a commanding 35-0 victory over Purdue, earning the title of projected Big Ten Champion and taking over as the No. 1 team in the latest AP Top 25 rankings.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s recent triumph over the previously top-ranked Texas allowed them to leap from No. 7 to No. 2, cementing their status as the projected champion of the Southeastern Conference.
Miami, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, maintained its hold on the No. 3 seed, while Iowa State from the Big 12 continued to be ranked at No. 4.
This week also marked the entry of BYU into the playoff projections following their narrow 38-35 victory against Oklahoma State, which improved them to an impressive 7-0 record.
In a notable change, BYU took over Alabama’s position after Alabama suffered a 24-17 defeat against Tennessee, resulting in their removal from the rankings.
For clarity, the playoff format allocates the top four seeds to the highest-ranked conference champions, irrespective of their overall standings, while guaranteeing spots for the five top-ranked conference champions across all leagues.
There are no limitations on how many teams can represent a single conference in the playoffs. Even though the selection committee will begin ranking teams in November, the current lineup is reflected through the AP Top 25.
Scheduled matchups include No. 9 LSU facing No. 8 Tennessee, with the winner advancing to the Sugar Bowl to compete against No. 1 Texas.
No. 12 Boise State will take on No. 5 Penn State, with the victor meeting No. 4 Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Additionally, No. 10 Clemson will challenge No. 7 Texas, and the winner will face No. 2 Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
In another exciting matchup, No. 11 BYU is set to play No. 6 Ohio State, with the winner advancing to meet No. 3 Miami in the Peach Bowl.
New to this week’s lineup is BYU, while Alabama has been dropped from the rankings.
Looking ahead, the next five teams include No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 13 Indiana, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 15 Alabama, and No. 16 Kansas State.