Oregon Returns to CFP Bubble at No. 12 After USC Win — SkimNews
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- Oregon climbed to No. 12 in ESPN's CFP projection after Saturday's road win at USC — played with a backup quarterback after a scary injury to Dante Moore — but would be bumped out on Selection Day by projected Group of 6 leader Boise State.
- Florida surged into SEC playoff contention after beating Ole Miss, rising to No. 2 nationally in ESPN's strength of record behind only Texas, with a 48.9% chance to reach the CFP per the Allstate Playoff Predictor.
- Mississippi State remained undefeated at No. 4 in strength of record after upsetting Missouri, but now faces Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas — with road trips to LSU and Texas in October defining its season.
- Miami is the runaway ACC favorite at 72.5% to win the conference title and holds the third-best CFP odds nationally (85.1%), with the only game ESPN's FPI doesn't favor coming Nov. 7 at Notre Dame.
- Iowa stayed undefeated with a 20-19 win at Michigan and owns the Big Ten's best strength of record (No. 5), but faces Ohio State next — the source calls it 'the biggest game of the season' for the Hawkeyes.
- Notre Dame has the second-best chance to reach the CFP (85.2%) behind Texas (89.6%) and the nation's best chance to win out (39%), having won 14 straight games by double digits under coach Marcus Freeman.
- Utah moved closer to Big 12 contention after a road win at Iowa State, ranking No. 8 nationally in total efficiency with quarterback Devon Dampier at No. 27 in QBR — better statistically than Texas Tech despite no ranked wins.
Why it matters: Six SEC teams — Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and LSU — project into the 12-team playoff field, an unusually deep conference haul that could crowd out Power 4 bubble teams like Oregon at No. 12. Florida's 48.9% CFP bid hinges on surviving road games at Texas (Oct. 17) and Georgia, where ESPN's FPI gives the Gators under 50% odds in both.
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