CFB Playoff Picture 2024-25: Bracket Projections, Scenarios After Week 7 AP Rankings

The chaos that unfolded on Saturday shook up how we view the College Football Playoff picture.

The Alabama Crimson Tide dropped from No. 1 to No. 7 in Sunday's AP Top 25. The Tennessee Volunteers also dropped multiple spots inside the Top 10.

Alabama and Tennessee can still make the CFB Playoff, but more attention will now be put on their October 19 clash in Knoxville because the loser will drop to two losses.

The Big Ten hierarchy will be sorted out in Week 7, when the Ohio State Buckeyes meet the Oregon Ducks.

Ohio State, Oregon and the Penn State Nittany Lions reside in the clear top tier of the Big Ten following Saturday's losses by the Michigan Wolverines and USC Trojans.

All of the Week 6 chaos allowed a handful of programs to surge up the AP poll and re-enter the playoff conversation.

No team has benefited more from losses by ranked teams than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are now tied for 11th with the Big 12-leading Iowa State Cyclones going into Week 7.

October 19's Alabama-Tennessee clash is not a playoff elimination game, but it is an important contest for each team to re-assert their dominance with in the SEC.

Alabama still has the best win in the country from two weeks ago over the Georgia Bulldogs, but now it has a loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores on its resume as well.

Alabama's trip to Knoxville in two weeks begins a stretch of three consecutive Top 25 matchups. An undefeated run through that stretch will put the Tide comfortably into the playoff, and maybe even into the top two in the SEC.

Tennessee's situation is slightly more dire because it visits Georgia on November 16. A home loss to Bama would put the Vols in a tough position going into Athens.

For now, both teams are still in position to make the 12-team playoff as two of the four best teams in the SEC, but there is a path to missing out on the postseason, starting with the October 19 battle.

Three of the top four teams in the AP Top 25 come from the Big Ten.

Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State are a combined 15-0 and none of them have faced many threats so far this season.

That will change on Saturday, when Ohio State goes to Eugene to face the Ducks and Penn State visits southern California to take on USC.

Ohio State-Oregon carries more significant for the playoff conversation since USC fell out of the Top 25 after its loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Ohio State and Penn State do not have a season-long trend on its side, though, as teams that have traveled two or more time zones in Big Ten are 1-7, per Jon Wilner.

Michigan and USC fell into that category in Week 6, but the consensus is that Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State are in a whole other class compared to the Wolverines and Trojans.

The Ohio State-Oregon winner will be in a terrific position to win the Big Ten title, but the loser will not drop far in the polls, especially if the game is close.

As for Penn State, it is expected to beat USC and then prepare for the November 2 clash with Ohio State that could determine the best team in the Big Ten.

Notre Dame is officially back in the playoff conversation!

The Fighting Irish watched from home on Saturday as five ranked teams were upset, three from the SEC and two from the Big Ten.

All of those defeats were significant for the Irish because they are competing with the likes of Missouri, Michigan and USC for an at-large berth into the CFB Playoff.

Notre Dame will not play a true road game until November 30 against USC, and after the Trojans' loss on Saturday, it does not have a Top 25 foe left on its schedule.

An 11-1 Notre Dame, even with a loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies, should get into the playoff.

The Irish will likely be favored in every remaining game, and as long as they avoid an upset, they should get into the 12-team field.