College Football Playoff bracket for Week 7: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams

College Football Playoff bracket for Week 7: Projecting top four seeds, first-round matchups, bubble teams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There is a cost to playing in the SEC.

LSU looked like a national championship contender after a 51-10 victory against Clemson in Week 1. That was before conference play.

Now, the Tigers are a two-loss team under first-year coach Lane Kiffin after a 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky in Week 6. Wildcats coach Will Stein went for two in overtime again, and it worked.

Florida lost 38-19 to South Carolina – which gives the Gators two losses in two weeks.

It has nothing to do with a transitive property. It's just going to be tough for non-elite teams to get out of this conference with a 10-2 record. Through six weeks, Georgia, which beat Alabama 20-17 in another heavyweight matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium, is the lone unbeaten in the conference. The Bulldogs will be No. 1 by virtue of Texas' 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.

All that carnage could result in a second bid for the Big 12, which has multiple unbeaten teams in BYU, Texas Tech and Utah.

How do you sort out the picture after Week 4? Here is a look at the top four teams, the projected first-round matchups and the four teams on the college football playoff bubble heading into Week 7:

In: UCLA

Out: LSU

MORE: Oregon's upset loss to UCLA makes CFP path almost impossible

Projected College Football Playoff first-round byes

No. 1 Georgia (6-0, SEC champion)

Georgia will bump up to No. 1 after beating Alabama – the Bulldogs' first victory against the Crimson Tide in the regular season since 2007. Dwight Phillips Jr. (17-120) led the Bulldogs on the ground, and Gunner Stockton (18 of 22, 249 yards, TD, INT) made the clutch throws on third down. It's a perfect first half of the season for Georgia coach Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs play Auburn in Week 7.

No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0, Independent)

The Irish made short work of Stanford in a 58-7 blowout. Notre Dame built a 37-0 half-time and had five TDs of 30 yards or more. CJ Carr (14 of 20, 181 yards, 3 TDs) has 10 TDs and one interception in his last three starts. Freshman Jonaz Walton (13-181, 2 TDs) had a 98-yard TD run, and the defense forced three turnovers without cornerback Leonard Moore (concussion). The Irish have a plus-13 turnover margin heading into Week 7 at BYU.

No. 3 Indiana (6-0, Big Ten champion)

The Hoosiers might be underdogs in the Week 7 showdown against Ohio State, but for now the defending national champions are one of two perfect teams left in the Big Ten. Josh Hoover (12 of 22, 263 yards, 2 TDs) hit Nick Marsh (6-187, 2 TDs) for a pair of fourth-quarter TDs in a 20-17 come-from-behind victory against Nebraska. Indiana managed just 65 rushing yards, but the defense had six sacks. Curt Cignetti pushed the Hoosiers' win streak to 22 games.

MORE: Hoover pulls a 'Fernando' as Indiana escapes upset

No. 4 Miami (5-0, ACC champion)

The Hurricanes are the clear front-runner in the ACC with an offense that averages 49.6 points per game behind quarterback Darian Mensah (1,438 yards, 15 TDs, 0 INTs). Mensah leads the FBS with an 84.2% completion percentage. Receiver Malachi Toney averages 120.8 receiving yards per game, and Marquise Lightfoot has picked up the pass rush with five sacks. Miami faces Florida State in Week 7.

Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups

A look at Sporting News projected first-round College Football Playoff matchups heading into Week 6 of the college football season:

No. 12 Boise State (4-1, Pac-12 champion) at No. 5 Ohio State (4-1, Big Ten at-large)

Flip Ohio State with Indiana if you want. The Buckeyes beat Maryland 45-16 behind yet another strong connection between Julian Sayin (13 of 21, 242 yards, 4 TDs, INT) and Jeremiah Smith (4-93, 2 TDs), who now has 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 TDs. Bo Jackson (23-107, 2 TDs) added run support, and the defense allowed 146 total yards. Now, the Big Ten championship rematch with Indiana awaits.

Boise State blurb.

No. 11 Texas Tech (5-0, Big 12 at-large) at No. 6 Texas (4-1, SEC at-large)

Maybe we will get this matchup between Joe McGuire and Steve Sarkisian, who sparred about scheduling in the offseason.

Oklahoma stunned Texas with 17 points in the fourth quarter. Arch Manning (19 of 31, 260 yards, three TDs, 2 INTs) threw a costly interception with 19 seconds remaining after throwing a pick-six earlier in the quarter, and the Sooners took advantage with a walk-off field goal. Texas allowed 238 total yards in the loss. The Longhorns managed 122 rushing yards on 3.8 yards per carry. The Longhorns have a tough schedule the rest of the way, with Florida up first in Week 7.

The Red Raiders had a bye week, and they could push to be the second Big 12 team in the CFP. Will Hammond (1,102 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs) will be counted on for more in conference play, but the running game (179.0) remains reliable and the defense entered the weekend second in the FBS with nine interceptions. Texas Tech faces Arizona State in Week 7. The Sun Devils beat the Red Raiders 26-22 last season.

MORE: Arch Manning meltdown costs Texas

No. 10 UCLA (5-0, Big Ten at-large) at No. 7 Alabama (5-1, SEC at-large)

Alabama remains the highest one-loss team in our rankings – which is almost a birthright. Yet Kalen DeBoer will have to learn from the loss to the Bulldogs. Keelon Russell (16 of 30, 185 yards, TD) was hit or miss in the passing game, and a late personal foul on Dijon Lee Jr. sealed the Crimson Tide's fate. It's a tough loss, and Alabama faces Tennessee in Week 7. Alabama has lost its last two trips to Neyland Stadium.

Say hello to the Bruins – who move into the field after a 17-15 victory against Oregon. First-year coach Bob Chesney, who is now 26-6 the last three years between James Madison and UCLA, is the new frontrunner for Coach of the Year. Running back Wayne Knight (22-103, TD) added a receiving TD, but Nico Iamaleava (10 of 17, 162 yards, 2 INTs) was injured and then replaced in favor of Ty Dieffenbach (3 of 6, 43 yards, TD). The Bruins face Wisconsin in Week 7.

MORE: UCLA's Bob Chesney has Bruins poised for run at CFP

No. 9 Ole Miss (4-1, SEC at-large) at No. 8 BYU (5-0, Big 12 champion)

The Cougars left points on the board in a 24-10 victory against Iowa State on Friday, and it's clear where coach Kalani Sitake will lean without running back LJ Martin. Bear Bachmeier (22 of 30, 329 yards, 2 TDs) had 109 rushing yards and a TD, and freshman receiver Legend Glasker (5-99, TD) made the plays in the passing game. BYU gets its GameDay moment against Notre Dame in Week 7.

Ole Miss took advantage of four Vanderbilt turnovers in a 52-17 blowout. The bye week helped, and Trinidad Chambliss (20 of 30, 213 yards, 3 TDs, INT) was back on track with the return of Kewan Lacy (7-39, TD). The Rebels had 196 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry and return home for a matchup against Missouri in Week 7.

MORE: It was not a great day to be a five-star QB

Projected College Football Playoff bubble teams

Utah (5-0)

Utah is the third unbeaten team in the Big 12 after a 41-24 victory against Kansas. Devon Dampier (23 of 30, 238 yards, 3 TDs, INT) continues to play at a high level, and Wayshawn Parker (16-171, 2 TDs) has 345 rushing yards and four TDs the last two weeks. Utah plays Colorado in Week 7.

Mississippi State (4-1)

The Bulldogs had a bye week to recover from a blowout loss to Alabama, and Kamario Taylor (1,450 passing yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs) will visit Death Valley to take on LSU in Week 7. Mississippi State is here by virtue of the 31-24 victory against 5-1 Missouri, but can the Bulldogs win in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2020?

Missouri (5-1)

The Tigers have survived the last few weeks of SEC carnage. Missouri beat Texas A&M in impressive fashion one week after blowing out Florida. Jamal Roberts (34-222, 2 TDs) had a monster game on the ground, and now Austin Simmons (14 of 28, 147 yards, TD, INT) gets a shot at his former team in Ole Miss in Week 7. Eli Drinkwitz has the Tigers rolling at the right time.

Iowa (4-1)

The Hawkeyes flexed in a 41-24 victory at Washington on Friday. Jeremy Hecklinski (14 of 19, 202 yards, 3 TDs) played well in place of Hank Brown (shoulder). Iowa built a 27-0 lead in the first half. Kamari Moulton (26-208, 2 TDs) led a rushing attack that outgained the Huskies 263 to minus-3. Iowa's schedule is friendly, and a bye week precedes an Oct. 24 matchup at Minnesota.