ESPN Experts Split on CFP Bracket After Week 5 — SkimNews
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- Week 5's three ranked matchups delivered Ohio State's road conference win at Iowa, Missouri's 28-point upset of top-10 Florida, and Alabama's 33-point rout of Mississippi State.
- The new 2026 CFP format awards automatic bids to the four Power 4 conference champions plus the highest-ranked Group of 6 team, with the next seven highest-ranked teams filling out the 12-team field; Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if it finishes in the top 12.
- ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach project the postseason weekly, and they disagree on the title game: Bonagura has No. 1 Georgia facing No. 2 Notre Dame, while Schlabach slots No. 5 Alabama against No. 2 Georgia.
- The two experts also split on the No. 1 seed, with Bonagura picking Georgia and Schlabach picking Texas, and they project different first-round matchups at the Seeds 5-8 campus sites (e.g., Bonagura: Utah at BYU; Schlabach: Oregon at BYU).
- First-round byes go to the four highest-ranked teams regardless of conference championship status, with Seeds 5-8 hosting first-round games on Dec. 18-19.
- Bowl season opens Dec. 12 with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and runs through the Jan. 25 CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Why it matters: With seven weeks of regular-season football still to play, the experts' split on the No. 1 seed (Georgia vs. Texas) and the title game (Georgia-Notre Dame vs. Alabama-Georgia) underscores how unsettled the bracket remains; under the expanded 12-team format, four Power 4 conference champions claim automatic bids and Notre Dame locks in a spot if it stays in the top 12, raising the stakes for every remaining ranked matchup.
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