The upsets over the weekend involving several leading teams in the Bowl Subdivision have prompted us to reevaluate this week’s College Football Playoff bracket projections.

However, we won’t start from scratch. Even though Alabama faced a setback against Vanderbilt, the Crimson Tide are still expected to secure an at-large bid in the 12-team playoff field. Texas has ascended to the top of the SEC, positioning itself as the frontrunner for the No. 1 seed come December.

One team that has dropped out of this week’s bracket is Tennessee, which lost to Arkansas on Saturday night. With prior wins against North Carolina State and Oklahoma now seeming less impressive, the Volunteers must win their upcoming clashes against Alabama and Georgia while avoiding any additional losses to remain in playoff contention.

This reshuffling takes into account the single losses incurred during a tumultuous Saturday, while continuing to address the broader playoff discussion.

As we move further into October, it’s apparent that the SEC will devour its playoff contenders, potentially leaving several teams with two losses by the end of the season. Currently, only three SEC teams, Texas, Texas A&M, and LSU remain unbeaten in conference play, and Texas stands out as the only one among them without a non-conference loss.

Ultimately, Alabama is projected to bounce back from their recent defeat and conclude the regular season with a record strong enough to qualify for the playoffs.

Updated College Football Playoff Projections

This week’s bracket shows three key changes.

First, Notre Dame enters the field, replacing Tennessee. The Fighting Irish’s earlier defeat to Northern Illinois looked bad then and has aged even worse as the Huskies have lost two out of three matches since leaving South Bend.

Notre Dame’s upcoming schedule is significantly less challenging compared to other Power Four teams, featuring winnable matchups against competitive opponents. They still have games against Georgia Tech, Navy, Virginia, Army, and Southern California on the horizon.

The second change is at the top of the ACC. One-loss Clemson has overtaken unbeaten Miami as the conference favorites after the Hurricanes needed a spectacular comeback to defeat California. This followed another nail-biting performance against Virginia Tech just a week prior.

Clemson has looked impressive since their opening loss to Georgia, and with their offense performing exceptionally well in recent weeks, the Tigers are now viewed as the more reliable choice for the ACC title, relegating Miami to the at-large bid category.

The third change involves Boise State replacing UNLV as the representative for the Group of Five. The Rebels’ loss to Syracuse made this decision straightforward. Boise State has been performing like one of the top teams in the FBS, driven in part by a standout season from star running back Ashton Jeanty.

Four Teams to Keep an Eye On

Texas A&M

The Aggies’ commanding 41-10 victory over Missouri is turning heads in the SEC. With five consecutive wins since their season-opening loss to Notre Dame, A&M has a clear path to the conference championship game if they handle their upcoming away games against Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Auburn, while also splitting their home games against LSU and Texas.

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh maintains its unbeaten record following a successful road trip against North Carolina and now boasts three victories against Power Four teams. Their upcoming home games against California and Syracuse will be crucial in determining if the Panthers remain in contention. The November schedule includes challenging matchups with SMU, Clemson, and Louisville that could significantly impact their prospects.

Nebraska

An elite defense gives Nebraska a fighting chance. Although defeating Ohio State later this month may be a tough task, the strength of their defense combined with the potential shown by the Dylan Raiola-led offense could keep the Cornhuskers in the at-large conversation leading into their final regular-season matchups against Southern California, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Tulane

Despite two losses in September, the Green Wave remain competitive in the Group of Five race. Both setbacks were narrow defeats against ranked teams Kansas State and Oklahoma, and should Tulane claim another American Athletic championship, the selection committee is likely to regard those non-conference games favorably.