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Projected College Football Playoff rankings: Predictions for who’s in, who’s out
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips set the tone for this week's College Football Playoff rankings by issuing something of a warning shot over satellite radio ahead of conference championship games around the country.
"If you’re inside of that top 12 or so, and you’re projected to be in (the CFP bracket), it would be very alarming for you to be moved out because you played an extra game while everyone else is sitting home," Phillips declared in an interview on SiriusXM radio Monday. "... You cannot and should not be penalized for having to play a 13th game after a very long season. So, we’ll see how that plays out, but I’m very confident that the committee is going to stand by what they’ve told us.”
It's clear, after Week 14 losses by Ohio State and Miami, that the final top 25 rankings before the first 12-team bracket is officially revealed on Sunday, carry a significant amount of weight to the movers and shakers in the sport. What will the CFP selection committee do with all those three-loss SEC teams? Can SMU lose in the ACC championship game and still make the bracket? Who's going to get those final at-large berths?
We'll have a better sense of those answers after Tuesday night. As you wait, here are national projections and predictions about what the rankings and playoff bracket might look like, as well as information on the 12-team playoff and how to watch the rankings release show:
CFP: Odds for every team fighting for a spot in College Football Playoff bracket
College Football Playoff predictions
Erick Smith, USA TODAY
Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Texas (SEC champion)*
SMU (ACC champion)*
Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Georgia
Penn State
Tennessee
Boise State**
Indiana
Alabama
*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid
Bracket – first round games
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Alabama
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Indiana
No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Boise State
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 9 Tennessee
R.J. Young, FOX Sports
Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Texas (SEC champion)*
SMU (ACC champion)*
Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
Notre Dame
Penn State
Indiana
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
Alabama
Boise State**
*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid
Bracket – first round games
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Alabama
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Tennessee
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Ohio State
CFP rankings projections
Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today
Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Alabama
South Carolina
Arizona State
Heather Dinich, ESPN
Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Miami
Alabama
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Arizona State
Iowa State
Clemson
BYU
Missouri
UNLV
Colorado
Illinois
Syracuse
Memphis
Texas A&M
When are College Football Playoff rankings released?
The fifth edition of the College Football Playoff rankings – and the final set of rankings before the first 12-team CFP bracket is revealed – will be revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
How to watch CFP rankings reveal
The College Football Playoff rankings show will air on ESPN, with the broadcast starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Fans can also stream the rankings show on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
Time: 7-7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo
Watch CFP rankings show with Fubo
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Projected CFP rankings: College football bracket predictions