College Football Playoff bracket: What 12-team field looks like after fourth CFP Rankings released

There were no changes within the top five of this week's College Football Playoff Rankings, but there was still notable movement. Oregon climbed one spot to No. 5 after its statement win against USC. That pushed Ole Miss down to No. 6 despite the Rebels maintaining a strong résumé.

Further down the list, Miami rose to No. 12, keeping its postseason hopes alive. However, that still leaves the Hurricanes on the outside looking in for an at-large bid, meaning their most realistic path to the playoff likely requires winning the ACC Championship Game, even though the chances of getting to Charlotte are slim. Meanwhile, Utah slipped to No. 13 following a narrow escape against Kansas State -- a game in which the Utes surrendered a staggering 472 rushing yards, raising concerns for the selection committee despite the victory.

At the top, nothing has changed regarding the four programs currently projected to earn first-round byes in the new 12-team playoff format: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Georgia remain firmly in place.

This bracket is a projection heading into Week 14. Here is a look at how the College Football Playoff bracket looks after the fourth CFP Rankings release. 

There are still two more sets of CFP Rankings to come: next Tuesday's release ahead of conference championship week, followed by the final Top 25 and official 12-team playoff bracket, which will be unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Who will represent the ACC?

Although Miami is the highest-ranked ACC team in the eyes of the selection committee, plenty must break the Hurricanes' way for them to even reach the conference championship game. They would then have to win it to claim the league's automatic bid. As it stands, both SMU and Virginia control their own destiny entering the final week of the regular season. If they hold serve, they'll meet in Charlotte, with the winner expected to move into the projected No. 11 seed.

For Miami to have a real shot at reaching the title game, it needs outside help. In the ACC race, the Hurricanes are rooting for at least two of the following three teams to take a loss before the dust settles: Duke, SMU and Virginia. Only then would a path open for Miami to claim the league's automatic berth.

Still, by jumping ahead of Utah in the latest rankings, Miami has moved closer to at-large contention. But chaos elsewhere remains essential -- scenarios such as Alabama losing to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, Ole Miss falling to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl or an LSU upset of Oklahoma. Even one of those may not be enough, especially with BYU sitting at No. 11 and positioned to grab the final at-large spot.

Ole Miss in danger of losing first-round home game

With Ole Miss slipping to No. 7 in the latest rankings, the program now sits uncomfortably close to falling out of the No. 5-8 range needed to host a first-round College Football Playoff game. A loss in the Egg Bowl to Mississippi State -- or movement around them in the rankings -- could easily push Ole Miss into road-game territory for the opening round.

What complicates everything is the uncertainty surrounding Lane Kiffin. His future has become the most talked-about storyline of the season, as he remains linked to both LSU and Florida in what has become a high-stakes coaching pursuit. Kiffin has dodged questions publicly, but the situation has turned into a full-blown saga.

That instability matters. The selection committee has historically taken late-season uncertainty into account -- just ask Florida State in 2023. With the Egg Bowl looming, Ole Miss has little margin for error. A misstep on the field or further off-field distractions could not only cost the program a coveted first-round home game but, in a worst-case scenario, even jeopardize its spot in the 12-team playoff altogether.