"The most meaningful result in terms of the College Football Playoff in Week 12 was Oklahoma's upset win at Alabama, leaving both teams at 8-2 on the season. The win pushes the Sooners firmly into the mix for the CFP, while the Crimson Tide have lost their grip on a top-four seed -- at least for the time being. It also creates an interesting dynamic among those two teams and Notre Dame as we try to figure out how those two-loss teams fit in the postseason mix."
"As with last season's inaugural 12-team CFP, the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, will make the field. Unlike last year, the four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes. The other eight teams will meet in first-round games at the campus sites of seeds Nos. 5 through 8. From there, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in what had been the New Year's Six bowls, with the national championship game scheduled for Jan. 19 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium."
"All of that is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Apart from the playoff is the 35-game slate of bowl games, beginning with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13. We're here for all of it. ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out, and we'll be back every week of the season until the actual matchups are set."
Oklahoma's upset at Alabama left both teams 8-2 and elevated the Sooners into College Football Playoff contention while knocking Alabama out of a top-four seed for now. The result complicates the evaluation of two-loss teams, including Notre Dame, for postseason berths. The 12-team CFP will include five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, with the top four receiving first-round byes and seeds 5-8 hosting first-round games. Quarterfinals and semifinals will occupy New Year's Six bowls, the championship will be Jan. 19 in Miami, and a 35-game bowl slate begins Dec. 13.
Read at ESPN.com
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