How many teams from Texas will make the College Football Playoff?
The Lone Star State has three teams in the mix heading into Week 12 of the college football season – another sign of a prediction that Name, Image and Likeness would favor the football-crazed state.
Texas A&M is in business. The Aggies will maintain their spot in the top four of the second College Football Playoff rankings after a convincing 38-17 victory against Missouri on Saturday. The Aggies are inching closer to their first SEC championship berth, too.
Texas Tech is in the game. The Red Raiders scored an impressive 29-7 victory against BYU in a top-10 Big 12 showdown. Texas Tech has one loss, but the reported NIL money spent on the roster this year is paying off – especially on defense.
That leaves Texas in its quest for a third straight CFP berth. The Longhorns had a bye week – but they are front and center in a Week 12 showdown against Georgia – a rematch of last year's SEC championship game. Texas has two losses, but a split against the Bulldogs and Texas A&M in the finale would make for a compelling case for a three-loss team. We moved the Longhorns in, at least for this week.
Will all three make the final field? Here is a look at our latest playoff projections, including first-round byes, first-round matchups and bubble teams.
Dropped out: Memphis, BYU, Virginia
Moved in: South Florida, Texas, Georgia Tech
College Football Playoff contenders
| SEC (7) | BIG TEN (5) | BIG 12 (5) | ACC (5) |
| Texas A&M (9-0) | Indiana (10-0) | Texas Tech (8-1) | Virginia (8-2) |
| Ole Miss (9-1) | Ohio State (9-0) | BYU (8-1) | Georgia Tech (8-1) |
| Alabama (8-1) | Oregon (8-1) | Houston (8-2) | Louisville (7-2) |
| Georgia (8-1) | Michigan (7-2) | Utah (7-2) | PItt (7-2) |
| Vanderbilt (8-2) | USC (7-2) | Cincinnati (7-2) | Miami (7-2) |
| Texas (7-2) | IND (1) | ||
| Oklahoma (7-2) | Notre Dame (7-2) |
Projected College Football Playoff first-round byes
No. 1 Ohio State (9-0, 6-0; Big Ten champion)
Ohio State stayed on its path toward a Big Ten championship with a 34-10 victory against Purdue. Receiver Carnell Tate missed the game after experiencing tightness in warmups. Julian Sayin (27 of 33, 303 yards, TD, INT) did not miss a beat with Jeremiah Smith (10-137, TD). Both players are Heisman finalists at this point. The defense allowed a late TD but still held the Boilermakers to 186 total yards. The Buckeyes play UCLA in Week 12.
No. 2 Alabama (8-1, 6-0; SEC champion)
Alabama built a 17-3 lead at halftime in a 20-9 victory against LSU. Ty Simpson (21 of 35, 277 yards, TD) continues to play at a mistake-free level, and six different Crimson Tide receivers had multiple receptions. The defense allowed 232 yards and forced two turnovers. Alabama stays home against Oklahoma in Week 12. The Crimson Tide remain our pick to win the SEC.
No. 3 Indiana (10-0, 7-0; Big Ten at-large)
Catch of the year? Omar Cooper Jr.'s seven-yard TD catch – an incredible piece of footwork – helped Indiana squeak out a 27-24 victory against Penn State in Big Ten road play. That capped a fourth-quarter comeback by Fernando Mendoza (19 of 30, 218 yards, TD, INT). The Hoosiers did struggle to run the football (31 carries, 108 yards), and Elijah Sarratt (hamstring) did not play.
No. 4 Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0; SEC at-large)
The Aggies routed Missouri to stay with Ohio State and Indiana among the FBS unbeaten teams. Marcel Reed (20 of 29, 221 yards, 2 TDs) was on point, and running back Rueben Owens (13-102, 2 TDs) has five TDs in the Aggies' last four games. The Aggies have home games against South Carolina and Samford the next two weeks before the finale against Texas.
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Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups
A look at AllSportsPeople projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 12 of the college football season:
No. 12 South Florida (7-2, 4-1; American champion) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1; SEC at-large)
Memphis lost 38-32 to Tulane, which continued the revolving door at the top of the American Conference. South Florida has the best resume among Group of 5 contenders heading into a road matchup against Navy in Week 12. That 63-36 victory against North Texas on Oct. 10 could be huge later. Georgia did not fall for a trap game at Mississippi State in a 41-21 blowout that set up the showdown with Texas in Week 12. Nate Frazier (12-181, TD) had a season-high in rushing yards, and Gunner Stockton (18 of 29, 264 yards, 3 TDs) capped a strong performance with a 64-yard TD pass to Noah Thomas. Georgia hosts Texas next.
No. 11 Texas (7-2, 4-1; SEC at-large) at No. 6 Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1; Big 12 champion)
Imagine the tension in this one. Arch Manning averages 243 yards with seven TDs and one interception through Texas' four-game winning streak, and the Longhorns are an interesting team in the SEC and CFP race as a result. Georgia limited Texas to 17 points per game in two meetings last season. Can Texas break through with a road victory against the Bulldogs on Saturday? The Red Raiders moved one step closer to a Big 12 championship game appearance with the victory against BYU. Cameron Dickey (23-121, TD) and J'Koby Williams (13-77) keyed the running game, and Jacob Rodriguez (14 tackles) led a defense that limited the Cougars to 255 yards and forced three turnovers.
No. 10 Notre Dame (7-2; Independent at-large) at No. 7 Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC at-large)
This would be a fun first-round matchup. The Irish extended their winning streak to seven games in a 49-10 blowout against Navy. CJ Carr (13 of 16, 218 yards, 3 TDs) continues to improve, and Jeremiyah Love (13-94, 2 TDs) added a highlight-reel 48-yard TD run against the Midshipmen, who were missing Blake Horvath. The Rebels beat The Citadel 49-0 in a non-eventful blowout where Trinidad Chambliss (29 of 33, 333 yards, 3 TDs) had a near-flawless performance and Kewan Lacy (11-49, 3 TDs) keyed a rushing attack that piled up 151 yards. The Bulldogs had just 106 total yards. The Rebels face Florida in Week 12.
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No. 9 Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1; ACC champion) at No. 8 Oregon (8-1, 5-1; Big Ten at-large)
The Ducks escaped an upset bid against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Atticus Sappington hit a 39-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to seal a dramatic 18-16 victory. Dante Moore (13 of 21, 112 yards, INT) set that up with a 24-yard pass to Malik Benson. Noah Whittington (17-118) keyed a rushing attack that piled up 261 rushing yards. The Ducks survived, and the next two games are at home against Minnesota and USC. Virginia and Louisville lost in Week 11. That was the best news for Georgia Tech on a bye week where the Yellow Jackets had time to bounce back from a 48-36 loss to NC State. Georgia Tech plays its last ACC road game at Boston College in Week 12. Haynes King averages 330.2 yards of total offense – which ranks third in the FBS. Will the Yellow Jackets' run defense – which allowed 200 yards in their last two games – hold up in November?
Projected College Football Playoff bubble teams
Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2)
The Commodores rallied from a two-TD deficit to defeat Auburn 45-38 in overtime. Diego Pavia (25 of 33, 377 yards, 3 TDs) hit Cole Spence for the game-winning TD in overtime. Vanderbilt kept its chances for the first 10-win season in school history alive heading into the bye week – and it faces Kentucky and Tennessee in the next two weeks. Will that be enough to slip into the playoff? A Texas loss would help.
Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2)
Oklahoma also had a bye in Week 11 and will stay behind the Longhorns. The 23-6 loss to Texas on Oct. 11 is the difference, but the Sooners have room to move up in the last three weeks against a schedule that includes Alabama, Missouri and LSU. John Mateer averages 183.5 passing yards with three TDs and four interceptions in his last four games.
BYU (8-1, 5-1)
The Cougars still have a chance to make the CFP as a second Big 12 team, but there is no margin for error. BYU managed just 67 rushing yards in the loss to the Red Raiders, and Bear Bachmeier (23 of 38, 188 yards, TD, INT) struggled in the loss. BYU plays TCU in Week 12. Its showdown with Cincinnati – the other team with one loss in Big 12 play – looms large on Nov. 22.
Virginia (8-2, 5-1)
The Cavaliers suffered their first loss in ACC play after quarterback Chandler Morris left with an injury in a 16-9 loss to Wake Forest. Virginia finished 3 of 14 on third down in the loss, which complicates a playoff path without an ACC championship. The head-to-head victory against Louisville helps. Virginia plays at Duke in Week 12.