Rivalry weekend in college football has already resulted in an upset that will shake up the College Football Playoff rankings.
The third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies lost to the Texas Longhorns, a loss that cost A&M a chance to play in the SEC Championship Game.
The Alabama Crimson Tide can seal their spot with the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta next week if they beat the Auburn Tigers on Saturday night.
A&M must still finish in the top eight and host a first-round game, but Friday’s loss could result in a first-round bye.
This is good news for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who started the week ranked No. 5. The favorites to win the Big 12 could easily crack the top four after A&M’s loss.
CFB playoff bracket projection
No. 12 Tulane vs. No. 5 Oregon
No. 11 Virginia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
Texas A&M did not play well in the second half of its loss to Texas. That should drop the Aggies a few spots in Tuesday’s CFB playoff rankings.
Mike Elko’s team must still host a first-round game, but now has to play an extra game to reach the playoff final.
Texas Tech is favored to defeat the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday and then the BYU Cougars in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Two more wins for the Red Raiders should see them finish in the top four as the teams just below them in the rankings will likely not play next weekend.
The Oregon Ducks still have a chance to make the Big Ten Championship Game, but they need the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to lose to the Michigan Wolverines to be a possibility.
If Oregon beats the Washington Huskies on the road on Saturday, it will lock itself into at least a home playoff game.
Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels have already accomplished that feat with Friday’s win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Alabama will likely face Georgia in the SEC Championship. This will start a conversation about what to do with Alabama if it loses in Atlanta.
Kellen DeBoer’s team has a 9-2 record with a bad opening week loss to the Florida State Seminoles and another loss to a potential playoff team in the Oklahoma Sooners.
Alabama defeated Georgia and three other top 25 teams, but a loss in Atlanta would make it three losses.
The committee must then determine the importance of playing in the conference championship game. Alabama could remain in the top 10 with a loss as a reward for making it to that stage of the season.
The more realistic scenario is that Alabama falls out of the top 10, and if BYU loses to Texas Tech, it opens the door for the Miami Hurricanes.
Miami’s head-to-head win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has not made any difference in the rankings yet, but if both teams are directly next to each other in the final rankings, it could lead to an upset between the two teams at Nos. 9 and 10.
Miami needs a win over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday and some help to reach the ACC Championship Game, so its best chance to reach the playoff right now is via an at-large berth in the finals.
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