Jon Sumrall's Florida team looked a lot more inspiring than any team during the Billy Napier era. That was until Missouri humbled the Gators in the worst way on Saturday. Mizzou beat Florida 45-17 in Columbia, putting a damper on the Gators’ playoff hopes. Now, that was their first loss of the season, so they’re still in position to get into the College Football Playoff this year. However, their margin for error is a lot slimmer now. As for Alabama, well, they’re every bit a legit contender for the CFP.Â
The Crimson Tide cruised past Mississippi State on Saturday and Keelon Russell further added to his Heisman resume. Kentucky survived South Carolina’s upset bid in overtime and Miami looks like they’re good enough to get back to the national championship game for the second straight season. Here’s what the projected CFP bracket looks like after a busy Week 5 in college football.Â
Projected CFP bracket after Florida’s blowout loss, Bama’s dominant win
- Texas Longhorns (SEC champs)
- Miami Hurricanes (ACC champs)
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten champs)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Utah Utes (Big 12 champs)
- Ole Miss Rebels
- LSU Tigers
- Missouri Tigers
- Boise State Broncos (G6 bid)
Missouri moves into CFP field, Florida still outside CFP bubble
Missouri climbed up to No. 14 in the AP top 25 poll and has enough of a resume to justify leapfrogging BYU. The Tigers still have a gauntlet ahead of them. They have Ole Miss to play and Texas and Georgia. They could either show the CFP selection committee they deserve to get into the CFP no matter what or that they’re not quite as good as they looked against Florida. Missouri beating Florida showed just how dangerous of a team they can be. They also deserve to get in, SEC propaganda aside.
Florida, on the other hand, dropped to No. 16 in the AP top 25 poll. The Gators still have an outside chance to get into the CFP, but they’re going to need some help. Their schedule will help them. Like Missouri, Florida has to play Texas and Georgia, the top two teams, in consecutive weeks. A win in either of those games goes a long way. A win in both pretty much gives them a bid into the CFP.Â
Miami secures one of the four first-round byes
It’s hard to argue with how good Miami is this season. Yes, they just beat a mediocre Clemson team, but they’re winning with conviction and that’s what the CFP selection committee likes to see. Miami struggled against Wake Forest earlier this year, but has otherwise passed the subjective eye test the selection committee uses as its criteria. The Hurricanes seem like a runaway favorite to win the ACC at this point. Miami’s toughest game will be Notre Dame later this season. With that technically as a non-conference game, Miami shouldn’t have too much trouble finishing this season strong.Â
Alabama continues to trend upward after rolling over Mississippi State
This weekend will tell us a lot about how good this Alabama team truly is. The Crimson Tide have passed their first two tests, steamrolling Kentucky and Mississippi State. Their biggest game of the season is this week against Georgia. This is the game that will define their CFP fate. Can they take down Georgia, which has had an easy schedule to this point? Russell will face arguably the best defense he’s seen this season. How does he handle that? This game could very well be what gives them a good shot at one of the first round byes.Â
For now, Bama is one of the best teams in the SEC. By the time the season’s over, they could be the best team in the SEC and with it, be one of the top seeds in the CFP. In this projected bracket, they’re hosting a first round game. Don’t be surprised to see them work their way into the top four seeds with a big win over Georgia.
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