Bowl projections: Vanderbilt enters CFP bracket as SEC's fifth team, BYU flexes as new Big 12 frontrunner

Before the SEC begins its nine-game conference schedule next season to match others across the Power Five, the league could be laughing all the way to the bank with a record number of College Football Playoff appearances at the end of the 2025 campaign.

No. 10 Vanderbilt's second straight nationally ranked win on Saturday and third this season gives the Commodores the nod over several other one-loss titans in our updated Week 9 playoff projection as the SEC's fifth potential team to get an invite. Oklahoma's loss to Ole Miss was the Sooners' second of the season, detrimental to the cause considering there's still four remaining contests against top 25 teams.

After its second straight road victory as an underdog despite being the Big 12's last remaining unbeaten, BYU debuts in this season's playoff projection following another big outing from freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. In addition, South Florida has fallen off its perch atop the Group of Five after Memphis clipped the Bulls in the final moments, revealing a new favorite in the American.

Vanderbilt off to best start since 1941 as dramatic win over Missouri keeps CFP dreams alive for Commodores

Carter Bahns

We're not bailing on Miami yet in the playoff conversation, but this week, the Hurricanes are on the outside looking in if the ACC only puts its champion in the bracket based on the idea of the SEC getting a fifth team in the mix. It took Miami a half of football to remove the cobwebs of last week's loss to Louisville in Saturday's win over Stanford, but when the Hurricanes finally turned it out, they routed the Cardinal. There's more work to be done down the stretch to get to the playoff.

College Football Playoff 

Quarterfinals 

First round

Don't see your team? Check out Brad Crawford's complete bowl projections.

Projected College Football Playoff Field breakdown

1. Ohio State (projected Big Ten champion): The Buckeyes should be a double-digit favorite over the next four games before the showdown at Michigan on Nov. 29 as Ryan Day tries to snap his losing skid to the Wolverines. It's bound to happen this season, right?

2. Alabama (projected SEC champion): South Carolina struck fear in the Crimson Tide with an eight-point lead late, but Alabama managed two decisive plays in the final 2:16 to beat the Gamecocks. Alabama has now won seven straight since losing its opener and is unbeaten in SEC play. The Crimson Tide still have to play LSU and nationally ranked Oklahoma next month before traveling to Auburn in what could be Hugh Freeze's final contest with the Tigers.

3. Indiana: Four total touchdowns from Fernando Mendoza helped the Hoosiers improve to 8-0 overall for only the third time in school history under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. And Indiana's four more wins away from playing top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten title game with playoff seeding on the line. If the Hoosiers get to Indianapolis, they've secured a first-round bye, too.

4. Texas A&M: The SEC's last unblemished team through the first two months of the season, the Aggies managed their second straight tough road win Saturday night, outlasting LSU inside Tiger Stadium after beating Arkansas by a single possession in Week 8. So, why do we have an 8-0 team at No. 4 in the updated playoff projection? We're guessing there's a loss coming next month, perhaps two if the Aggies get to Atlanta and face Alabama.

5. Georgia Tech (projected ACC champion): Georgia Tech moved to our projected ACC champion designation last week following Miami's loss to Louisville, and there it'll stay after trouncing Syracuse. If Brent Key's team does win the ACC with their only loss coming during rivalry weekend to Georgia, we think they'll get a first-round home game as the highest-seeded squad outside the top four.

6. Oregon: The Ducks donned "Grateful Dead" uniforms in their win over Wisconsin but looked mostly like The Walking Dead offensively against one of the Big Ten's worst teams. Oregon's defense has played flawlessly since being gashed by Indiana earlier this month, so that's a positive sign.

7. BYU (projected Big 12 champion): Cincinnati is going to get a say in this Big 12 title race as the league's only other remaining unbeaten in conference play, but for now, we're slotting BYU as the new projected champion after Saturday's win at Iowa State. The Cougars simply keep winning when most are expecting this unbeaten streak to end. The trip to Texas Tech should decide this league's playoff representative.

8. Georgia: The Bulldogs get an extra week to prepare for what Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales will throw at them in Jacksonville next weekend. Georgia should roll, but you know how SEC rivalries games can go -- players get up for those regardless of prior results. If Gunner Stockton keeps it up, there's a chance he'll be a Heisman Trophy finalist this season if Georgia gets to the playoff as a top four seed and high-end finisher.

9. Ole Miss: For the first time in his coaching career with the Rebels, Lane Kiffin has a road win against ranked competition in SEC play. The victory at Oklahoma was a signature mark this season for Ole Miss and all but solidified a playoff spot for the Rebels given what's left on the schedule. Most impressive was Kiffin directing his team's focus on this game and not his name in the mix for Florida's coaching vacancy. Well done.

Lane Kiffin's big win over Oklahoma is great news for Ole Miss -- but bad news for Florida coaching search

John Talty

10. Notre Dame: The future of college athletics associated with the Fighting Irish potentially joining a conference is uncertain, but one thing is not -- Notre Dame's placement in the playoff if it gets to 10 wins. Despite only one win this season over top-25 competition (USC), the selection committee is not going to put a nine-win SEC team in the playoff -- especially if it's Vanderbilt -- over Notre Dame if the Fighting Irish win out.

11. Vanderbilt: Something changed for Miami during that loss to Louisville earlier this month. A lackluster win over Stanford followed and we're not certain the Hurricanes win out from here in the ACC. Insert the Commodores as the SEC's fifth potential playoff entry (or the winner of Vanderbilt-Tennessee during rivalry weekend), which would set set the world on fire within other Power leagues wanting more bites at the apple.

12. Memphis (projected Group of Five champion): A week after losing to UAB, the Tigers responded with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to topple previous projected American champion USF and took an eraser to the league's whiteboard at the top in Week 9. Four more wins and Memphis will be in the league title game with a play-in opportunity the first weekend in December.