Bowl Projections 2022: CFP Predictions After Week 12 AP Poll Release
The top five teams in the AP Top 25 did not change from Week 11 to Week 12.
The stability at the top means all of the top College Football Playoff contenders are still in the mix for another week.
Only three of the top four teams can make it to conference championship weekend with an undefeated record. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines need one more win each to face each other at 11-0 on November 26.
The Georgia Bulldogs and TCU Horned Frogs need to win out and they will land two of the playoff spots. Georgia locked up the SEC East title on Saturday, while TCU secured a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
The Tennessee Volunteers will be the most direct beneficiary from the Ohio State-Michigan game. They sit in fifth with their only loss to Georgia.
All of the teams beneath Tennessee need at least two results to go in their favor to make a run at the top four.
College Football Playoff
Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Tennessee
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 TCU
New Years' Six Bowls
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Alabama
Sugar Bowl: Kansas State vs. LSU
Cotton Bowl: UCF vs. North Carolina
Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. USC
Georgia and Tennessee could be in line for a rematch in the College Football Playoff semifinal if chalk holds in the SEC.
Georgia had a fairly easy night against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday to clinch the SEC East title with two weeks left in the regular season.
Kirby Smart's team looks as good as last year's national champion and it has two more chances to show why it will be the playoff favorite.
Georgia faces Kentucky next week on the road and then it takes on LSU in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs are expected to blow past Georgia Tech on Rivalry Week.
The No. 1 team in the country has nine double-digit wins and it conceded over 20 points on three occasions. It is difficult to see any team beating Georgia before the playoff, and if it qualifies, it will likely be the No. 1 seed.
Tennessee just needs to beat South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road in the next two weeks to position itself at 11-1 and ready to take over a top-four spot from the Ohio State-Michigan loser.
The Vols will face challenges from USC and the Ohio State-Michigan loser, if that game is close, but they will have an advantage over the rest of the field. They beat Alabama and have one fewer loss than LSU. Clemson may be too far down to make up a four-spot gap.
If Georgia and Tennessee win out, the selection committee could argue that it does not want to see a rematch in the semifinal round, but if that is not a problem, Tennessee could be behind TCU.
Ohio State's offense has been on a tear for most of the season as it gears up for the end-of-regular-season clash with Michigan.
The Buckeyes hit the 50-point mark for the fourth time this season on Saturday. They have had over 40 points on eight occasions in 10 games.
C.J. Stroud and Co. rarely skipped a beat and that could help them overcome Michigan in two weeks.
Saturday's injury to running back Miyan Williams is a big concern, but the Buckeyes could make up for that with their strengths in the passing game. They also have a week to work on replacing Williams when they take on Maryland next week.
Ryan Day's team has the edge of playing Michigan at home and it has the revenge angle on its side after last year's defeat at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan is more suited to win a low-scoring game and it may not have the horses in the passing game to keep up with Ohio State if a high-scoring contest breaks out in Columbus.
Ohio State would still have to win the Big Ten Championship Game if gets past Michigan, but the Big Ten West has been significantly worse all season and the Buckeyes should get through that.
TCU proved on Saturday against Texas that it can win games with its defense. The Horned Frogs held the Longhorns to 10 points and they won by scoring their lowest point total of the season.
Sonny Dykes' team still needs to beat Baylor and Iowa State before the Big 12 Championship Game, but it has to be trusted right now to get through any challenge after winning a game that did not suit its style on Saturday.
