Hello, and welcome to my weekly College Football Playoff bracket. I’ll be updating every week based on new results. They are based solely on my opinions and likely will differ from Austin Mock’s much smarter, scientifically based projections. Also, be sure to check out David Ubben’s Bubble Watch every Monday.
One challenge in this new era is to avoid overreacting to any one result. I feel I did a pretty good job of that through the first four weeks. Then I went wild after Week 5.
First and foremost, who’s going to win the Big 12? I’m losing faith in Utah due to the continued uncertainty about Cam Rising. The Utes scored 10 points in their loss to Arizona. But no one in the conference has looked good every week. BYU has looked the best, but for now, I’m riding with Iowa State.
GO DEEPER
Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Don’t blink! Bama-Georgia just another NIL-era classic
It’s hard to see Georgia winning the SEC the way its defense played in the first half against Alabama. But nor do I expect the Bulldogs, who mounted a heck of a comeback, to fall apart. The Tide moved up from at-large to conference champ, but Georgia stayed in the field as a projected 10-2 team.
GO DEEPER
What we learned about the College Football Playoff in Week 5
Finally, a hearty welcome to Clemson, the team Georgia throttled in the first game. The Tigers have been great since and may well win the ACC. For now, I give them an at-large berth.
(Photos of Jalen Milroe, left, and Cade Klubnik: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images; Ken Ruinard / Imagn Images)
