Texas Tech Re-enters CFP Bracket; BYU Secures Home Game

Texas Tech is back in the projected 12-team College Football Playoff bracket after a one-week absence, based on the most recent Associated Press Top 25 poll. Florida has fallen out of the projected field.

The projected bracket saw minimal changes, with Florida being the only team ranked in the AP's top 10 to lose a game over the past weekend.

Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Miami remain the top four seeds in the projected playoff. Ohio State, Alabama, Indiana, and BYU are positioned to host first-round games. Florida's loss allowed BYU to move up two spots in the AP poll, securing the final home-field slot for the opening round.

Under the expanded format, the five highest-ranked conference champions from the Power Four conferences, along with one champion from the Group of Six, will automatically qualify for the CFP. The remaining seven spots will be filled by the next highest-ranked teams, including at-large selections. Notre Dame will be included as an at-large team if they are ranked among the top 12 teams in the CFP's final rankings.

The Southeastern Conference is projected to have five teams in the 12-team bracket. The Big Ten and Big 12 conferences are each expected to have two teams, while the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 will have one team apiece. Notre Dame will participate as an independent, and Boise State is slated to represent the Pac-12 as the top Group of Six champion.

Based on the current AP rankings, the CFP matchups would look like this:

• No. 9 seed Mississippi at No. 8 BYU. The winner would advance to play No. 1 Texas.
• No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 seed Ohio State. The winner would face No. 4 Miami.
• No. 10 seed LSU at No. 7 Indiana. The winner would advance to play No. 2 Georgia.
• No. 11 seed Texas Tech at No. 6 Alabama. The winner would play No. 3 Notre Dame.

The teams immediately outside the projected bracket are Utah (ranked No. 12 by the AP), Oregon, and Missouri. Utah would be bumped by Boise State, which holds the position as the highest-ranked Group of Six team.

First-round games are scheduled for December 18 and 19. The quarterfinals will take place on December 30 and January 1. The semifinals are set for January 14 and 15, with the championship game scheduled for January 25 in Las Vegas.