The SEC proved its the closest thing to the NFL in Week 6.
Is it a good thing? Three top-10 SEC teams lost. Vanderbilt shocked No. 1 Alabama 40-35, and Arkansas beat No. 4 Tennessee 19-14. No. 25 Texas A&M beat No. 9 Missouri 41-10. Those teams all held serve at home – and it led to one of the wildest weekends in recent college football memory.
Now, the SEC has one unbeaten team left in No. 2 Texas. The Power 4 has just eight unbeaten teams remaining. If the one-loss pileuap is this gnarly, then what is it going to look like after the next two weeks given the number of high-profile showdowns? One can only imagine.
At least in the short term, that does not change that the SEC has five teams in our latest College Football Playoff Bracketology. Alabama and Tennessee – which meet at Neyland Stadium – are both still in that 12-team College Football Playoff for now. Nine SEC teams have one loss or less.
MORE: SN Top 25 for Week 7
Moved in: Iowa State, Ole Miss, Boise State
Dropped out: BYU, Missouri, UNLV
Projected College Football Playoff first-round byes
No. 1 Texas (5-0, SEC champion)
The Longhorns moved back into the top spot as a result of the Alabama loss. Texas has maintained an incredible balance of offense (45.0 ppg.) and defense (7.0 ppg.). Quinn Ewers (abdominal strain) should return after missing two games for the Red River Rivalry matchup against Oklahoma.
MORE: Stage is set for blockbuster Week 7 slate
No. 2 Ohio State (5-0, Big Ten champion)
The Buckeyes have the chance to solidify their spot as the Big Ten boss at Oregon in Week 7. Ohio State beat Iowa 35-7, and like Texas they blend offense (46.0 ppg.) and defense (6.8 ppg.). Quinshon Judkins has 468 yards and averages 7.8 yards per carry – continues to be a X-factor in the tag-team with TreVeyon Henderson – who has 337 yards on 8.0 yards per carry. Expect the Buckeyes to continue rolling with that.
BENDER: Ohio State buries Iowa to set up Oregon showdown
No. 3 Miami (6-0, ACC champion)
The Hurricanes trailed Cal 35-10 with 8:06 left in the third quarter before lauching a legendary comeback that resulted in a 39-38 victory. Cam Ward hit Elijah Arroyo for the game-winning TD with 26 seconds left. Ward finished with 437 passing yards, and Miami escaped in the final seconds for the second straight week.
No. 4 Iowa State (5-0, Big 12 champion)
We have put four different four Big 12 teams in this spot in four weeks – a nod to the wild nature of a conference race built on parity. BYU (5-0) also is unbeaten, but the Cyclones rolled up 542 yards of offense in a 43-21 blowout against Baylor. Iowa State has allowed just 10 points per game and has five consecutive games against unranked opponents. Still, a road trip to West Virginia in Week 7 is tricky.
Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups
A look at Sporting News projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 7 of the college football season:
No. 12 Boise State (4-1, Mountain West champion) at No. 5 Oregon (5-0, Big Ten at-large)
We can't avoid rematches. Oregon beat Boise State 37-34 in Week 2, and in this scenario the Ducks and Broncos run it back. The Ducks can move up the board if they beat Ohio State in Week 7. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty had 192 yards and three TDs in the first matchup. The Broncos moved in after UNLV lost 44-41 in Week 7. Navy (5-0) is the next-best bet among the Group of 5 schools at this point.
MORE: Ashton Jeanty rips up Utah State with first-half blitz
No. 11 Tennessee (4-1, SEC at-large) at No. 6 Georgia (4-1, SEC at-large)
Georgia would be the second-highest SEC team in this scenario, and they face Tennessee in a potential rematch of their Nov. 16 matchup at Sanford Stadium. Why are the Bulldogs this high? The 41-34 loss at Alabama does not hurt given the second-half comeback. The Vols fall hard after the loss to Arkansas, but they can bounce back. The Nov. 19 matchup with Alabama looms large now.
No. 10 Alabama (4-1, SEC at-large) at No. 7 Penn State (5-0, Big Ten at-large)
Penn State is the third Big Ten team, and imagine the setting at Beaver Stadium if the Nittany Lions get Alabama in the first round. The Crimson Tide slide from No. 1 to a road playoff game, but that 41-34 victory against Georgia remains the marquee victory of the season despite the shocking loss to Vanderbilt.
No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1, SEC at-large) at No. 8 Clemson (4-1, ACC at-large)
The Rebels are back in the mix after beating South Carolina 27-3 — which should take the sting off a loss to Kentucky. Ole Miss would get a road game here against Clemson, which has erased the 34-3 loss to Georgia with an impressive string of victories in ACC play. This gets two ACC teams in the playoff for now.
Projected College Football Playoff bubble teams
BYU (5-0, Big 12)
The Cougars had a bye week, and they are behind the Cyclones but ahead of a clump of a half-dozen Big 12 teams with one loss. BYU Arizona in yet another appetizing Week 7 game.
LSU (4-1, SEC)
That Week 1 loss to USC did not hurt too much. LSU can assert their playoff case among the SEC contenders with a victory against Ole Miss in Week 7. Texas A&M (5-1) also could be in this spot after a 41-10 victory against Missouri.
Notre Dame (4-1, Independent)
The Irish are back in the mix – and the 23-13 victory against Texas A&M in Week 1 looks better. That does not mean the 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois is completely forgiven. In fact, it is the only reason we don't have Notre Dame in the field right now.If the Irish bump an SEC team out at the end of a season, that road victory at Kyle Field will be a separator.
Indiana (6-0, Big Ten)
Curt Cignetti has the Hoosiers in position as the fourth Big Ten at this point after Michigan and USC suffered their second losses. That speaks to just how wild this season has been to this point, and Indiana has a bye week to get ready for Nebraska (5-1). That is an intriguing bubble game.
Pitt (5-0, ACC)
The Panthers are the last Power 4 unbeaten team on this list, and that puts them on the bubble. Pitt is 5-0 for the first time since 1991, and Eli Holstein has won his first five starts. SMU also is a team to watch in that ACC race.
Texas A&M (5-1, SEC)
Imagine where the Aggies would be if they beat Notre Dame in the opener. First-year coach Mike Elko has Texas A&M in the hunt through six games. Imagine the possibilities on Nov. 30 against Texas if this continues.
