The Week 9 AP Top 25 is in, and the top of the field is starting to separate. Miami (FL) holds at No. 1, Ohio State has climbed to No. 2, and Georgia sits No. 3 after bouncing back from its first loss. BYU, which held the No. 2 spot a week ago, has slid to No. 8. Here is where the 12-team College Football Playoff field stands if the season ended today, how the national bracketologists see it, and where the bowl picture is heading. We refresh this every Sunday night once the new AP poll drops, right up until the College Football Playoff Committee releases its own rankings in November.
How we build these projections
The CFP Committee does not release its first official rankings until early November, so until then we lean on the AP Top 25 as our weekly proxy. Five berths are automatic bids that go to the five highest-ranked conference champions: four from the power leagues (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) and one from the Group of Five. The other seven spots are at-large bids for the highest-ranked teams left over, with Notre Dame eligible as an independent. For the full rulebook, see our College Football Playoff format cheat sheet.
From there we seed all twelve teams straight by their AP ranking, with one twist: the Group of Five champion drops to the lowest seed it qualifies for, usually the 12. The top four seeds earn a first-round bye. Seeds 5 through 12 play first-round games on the higher seed’s home campus, and there is no reseeding afterward, so the bracket locks once the field is set.
Projected 12-team bracket (Week 9)
Here is the full 12-team field as the AP Top 25 would set it this week, with seeds, conferences and how each team earns its place.
| Seed | Team | Conference | How they get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | ACC | ACC champion (auto bid) |
| 2 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Big Ten champion (auto bid) |
| 3 | Georgia | SEC | SEC champion (auto bid) |
| 4 | Indiana | Big Ten | At-large |
| 5 | Notre Dame | Independent | At-large |
| 6 | Utah | Big 12 | Big 12 champion (auto bid) |
| 7 | UCLA | Big Ten | At-large |
| 8 | BYU | Big 12 | At-large |
| 9 | Kentucky | SEC | At-large |
| 10 | Alabama | SEC | At-large |
| 11 | Texas | SEC | At-large |
| 12 | Boise State | Mountain West | Group of Five champion (auto bid) |
First round (on the higher seed’s campus)
- No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Notre Dame
- No. 11 Texas at No. 6 Utah
- No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 UCLA
- No. 9 Kentucky at No. 8 BYU
Quarterfinal pairings (New Year’s Six bowls)
- No. 1 Miami (FL) vs. the winner of No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Kentucky
- No. 2 Ohio State vs. the winner of No. 7 UCLA and No. 10 Alabama
- No. 3 Georgia vs. the winner of No. 6 Utah and No. 11 Texas
- No. 4 Indiana vs. the winner of No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 12 Boise State
Projected conference champions
- SEC: Georgia (No. 3)
- Big Ten: Ohio State (No. 2)
- Big 12: Utah (No. 6)
- ACC: Miami (FL) (No. 1)
- Group of Five, Mountain West: Boise State (No. 20)
First teams out
The bubble is where the AP poll gets unforgiving. The first four teams out this week are Ole Miss (No. 12), Texas Tech (No. 13), Wake Forest (No. 14) and LSU (No. 15). None of them currently projects as a conference champion, so each would need to climb the at-large order or win its league to force its way into the field.
How the national bracketologists see it
Most public 12-team projections line up with the AP order at the top this week. Miami, Ohio State and Georgia headline nearly every bracket, and Indiana keeps climbing into bye-seed range. The arguments start on the bubble, where Texas and Alabama are the at-large teams most often debated against the one-loss group just outside, and in the Group of Five race, where Boise State is the favorite but not yet a lock. Expect the picture to tighten quickly once the CFP Committee issues its first official rankings in early November.
Bowl picture
The four first-round byes send the top seeds straight into the New Year’s Six quarterfinals, while the first-round winners advance to join them. The rest of the postseason slate fills in around the playoff, from the New Year’s Six games down through the full bowl lineup. Two handy references:
- 2026-27 college football bowl schedule (printable)
- 2026-27 College Football Playoff bracket and schedule
Print this week’s bracket
Want a copy to fill in as the season plays out? Download this week’s projected bracket, print it, and track how the field shifts week to week.
More from Sports Brackets
- 2026 College Football AP Top 25: Week 9 rankings, movers and printable ballot
- 2026 College Football Playoff rankings: release schedule and printable tracker
Frequently asked questions
How is the 12-team playoff field decided?
Five spots are automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions, four from the power conferences and one from the Group of Five. The remaining seven are at-large bids for the next highest-ranked teams, Notre Dame included as an independent.
Do conference champions still get a first-round bye?
Not automatically. Under the current format the four byes go to the top four seeds by ranking, not to the top four conference champions. A champion seeded fifth or lower plays in the first round like any other team, which is why Utah lands on the 6 line this week despite projecting as the Big 12 champion.
Why is the Group of Five champion seeded 12th?
The Group of Five earns one guaranteed bid through its highest-ranked champion, but that team is placed at the lowest seed it qualifies for, usually the 12, rather than slotted by its raw ranking. This week that is Boise State.
Why use the AP poll instead of the CFP rankings?
The CFP Committee does not publish its first rankings until early November. Until then the AP Top 25 is the most widely accepted weekly measure, so we use it as a stand-in and switch to the official rankings the moment they arrive.
How often is this updated?
Every Sunday night, right after the new AP Top 25 is released, through the end of the regular season and into bowl season.
