- Oklahoma and James Madison join the field: The Sooners and Dukes are new additions to the playoff field.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
With only a few weeks left in the college football regular season, the playoff picture becomes clearer every week.
Before the games kick off in the penultimate weekend of the regular season, here’s what PFF’s updated playoff bracket would look like based on our top 25 for the week.
Byes
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State took care of business with a 48-10 win over UCLA on Saturday. The Buckeyes dominated on the ground with Carnell Tate out and Jeremiah Smith injured, running for 7.2 yards per carry while holding the Bruins to only 3.2 yards per attempt.
2. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana moved to 11-0 for the first time in program history with a 31-7 win over Wisconsin. Fernando Mendoza showed why he’s the current betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy with a 90.7 PFF passing grade and a 95.8% adjusted completion rate in the victory.
3. Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M completed the greatest comeback in school history in its 31-30 win over South Carolina this past weekend. The Aggies trailed by 27 points at halftime before outscoring the Gamecocks 28-0 in the second half. It was also a tale of two halves for quarterback Marcel Reed, who had a 36.0 PFF grade in the first half and a 91.6 grade in the second.
4. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia dominated No. 10 Texas by a 35-10 final score. The Bulldogs’ defense missed only two tackles in the win and now leads the nation with a 92.5 PFF tackling grade on the season.
First Round
5. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 12. James Madison Dukes
Florida gave Ole Miss all it could handle, but the Rebels survived with a 34-24 victory. Kewan Lacy ran all over the Gators to the tune of 224 yards and three touchdowns, with 138 yards after contact and 14 forced missed tackles.
Following USF’s loss to Navy, James Madison is the new favorite for the Group of Six playoff spot. The Dukes moved to 9-1 on the season with a commanding 58-10 victory over Appalachian State. James Madison totaled 654 yards of offense while holding the Mountaineers to just 2.8 yards per play.
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. 11. Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Texas Tech now has 10 wins in a season for the first time in 17 years following a 48-9 drubbing of UCF. David Bailey continued to show why he’s arguably the best pass-rusher in college football with six pressures and a 91.1 PFF pass-rush grade.
Miami remains the highest-ranked team in the ACC following its 41-7 win over NC State. Safety Jakobe Thomas was incredible in the win, earning a 97.9 PFF grade with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Even though they’re arguably the best team in the conference, the Hurricanes still need some help to reach the ACC Championship Game, as they’re only fifth with a 4-2 conference record.
7. Oregon Ducks vs. 10. Alabama Crimson Tide
Oregon annihilated Minnesota on Friday night by a 42-13 final score. Despite missing two of his top-three wide receivers, quarterback Dante Moore still finished with an elite 91.9 PFF passing grade in the win. The Ducks play in the biggest game of Week 13 as they host USC in what’s a massive showdown for both teams’ playoff hopes.
Even with the loss to Oklahoma, Alabama remains in the top 10. The Crimson Tide still have wins over ranked teams like No. 4 Georgia, No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 21 Tennessee and No. 23 Missouri to fall back on. Alabama must beat Eastern Illinois and Auburn to close out its season to make the playoff.
8. BYU Cougars vs. 9. Oklahoma Sooners
BYU bounced back nicely from its loss to Texas Tech with a 44-13 win over TCU. True freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier posted a 91.4 PFF passing grade in the victory while also running for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Oklahoma secured a massive victory for its playoff hopes with a 23-21 win over fourth-ranked Alabama. Turnovers told the story in that game, as the Crimson Tide gave it away three times — while the Sooners didn’t cough it up once. Oklahoma scored 17 of its 23 points off those turnovers, including an 87-yard pick-six by Eli Bowen.
