Predicting every College Football Playoff team's remaining schedule: Expect three-loss logjam in SEC

SEC chaos will open the door for other CFP contenders down the stretch Nov 11, 2026 at 11:53 am ET • 7 min read The College Football Playoff committee revealed its latest bracket Tuesday, and 12 teams are in full control of their postseason fate. So, who is going to blow it?If you've been watching this sport for any length of time, you know the chances of every team in the field going 3-0 over the next three weeks are about as good as me stumbling across a winning lottery ticket on the sidewalk. Several teams in Tuesday night's CFP bracket will lose at least one game, and when that happens, other teams will be waiting to strike.According to CBS Sports' projections, five teams left out of the bracket on Tuesday still have at least a 1-in-5 shot to make the playoff. In the case of Wake Forest, its chances of reaching the field are far higher than not.Wake Forest -- 75.3%Texas Tech -- 48.4%Ohio State -- 36.7%Oregon -- 25.8%LSU -- 20.6%With the exception of LSU -- which plays No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Tennessee over the next two weeks -- most of those teams lack major resume-building opportunities down the stretch. That means they'll need some help, but the good news is they'll probably get it. College Football Playoff format for 24-team field: How rankings would look in 2026 Shehan Jeyarajah The SEC in particular could get chaotic between now and the end of the regular season, and I believe that the logjam of three-loss teams will only get bigger in that span. Should that happen, the Demon Deacons and Red Raiders could become the beneficiaries.With the final rankings reveal inching closer, here is how I see the rest of the season playing out for every College Football Playoff team. 12. Boise State Projected remaining record: 3-0vs. Oregon State -- Wvs. San Diego State -- WTBD -- WThe duo of Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree makes Oregon State a dangerous opponent, but the Broncos have been firing on all cylinders, regardless of who is at quarterback. Then I'm just not sure San Diego State has the requisite firepower to hang with Boise State for 60 minutes. Of course, the new Pac-12 is implementing the new FLEX game in the final week of the regular season, and Utah State is Boise State's projected opponent at the moment. The Broncos have already beaten the Aggies by 19. 11. Kentucky Projected remaining record: 2-1vs. Florida -- Wat No. 22 Missouri -- Lvs. Louisville -- WComing off its loss to Tennessee, Kentucky must win out to remain in the College Football Playoff field. The Gators have 15 points in their last two games combined, and I don't see them suddenly snapping out of that funk against Kentucky. The trip to Missouri, on the other hand, is very dangerous. The Tigers have the passing attack to beat the Wildcats over the top, and I think that's what will happen. Listen, 9-3 with a win over Louisville to close things out would be a great start for the Will Stein era. 10. BYU Projected remaining record: 3-0vs. Baylor -- Wat Kansas -- Wvs. Cincinnati -- WThe Cougars now have to peel themselves off the mat and power through the rest of the season without losing again. This weekend's game against Baylor will test their resolve, especially with how well DJ Lagway has been playing, but playing at home gives BYU enough of an edge that I'm not too worried. I'm not too worried about Kansas pulling an upset, and while Cincinnati has been feisty at times this season, that's a tough road trip for the Bearcats to make at the end of the season. 9. Indiana Projected remaining record: 3-0vs. No. 18 USC -- Wat Washington -- Wvs. Purdue -- WBased on what we've seen from Indiana so far this season, it's hard to have much confidence in any of these picks, but the open date probably did come at the right time. Maybe Josh Hoover is healthier, and that will spark the offense. USC has the talent to win on Saturday, but the Trojans have been awful on the road in Big Ten play. See their loss to Wisconsin for an example. From there, the Hoosiers defense should be able to overpower Washington and Purdue, even if the offense isn't firing on all cylinders. 8. Tennessee Projected remaining record: 2-1at Texas A&M -- Wvs. No. 21 LSU -- Lat Vanderbilt -- WThe Volunteers could go anywhere from 3-0 to 1-2 in the final three games, and none of those outcomes would surprise me. Tennessee has struggled on the road, so I picked them to beat Texas A&M with little confidence, although the matchup between the Vols defense and Aggies offense is incredibly lopsided. That would set up a monumental clash with Lane Kiffin and LSU in Neyland Stadium, and that's where Tennessee's offensive firepower finally becomes the Achilles heel. 7. Miami Projected remaining record: 3-0vs. Duke -- Wvs. Virginia Tech -- Wvs. Boston College -- WYou really couldn't draw up the final three games any better than this if you're Miami. They're all at home against teams you'll be heavily favored against. Duke may want revenge for the Darian Mensah saga, but that doesn't mean the Blue Devils have the roster to get it. Virginia Tech could be tricky if Ethan Grunkemeyer plays well at quarterback, but the Hokies just got trounced by SMU. The Eagles will be nothing more than cannon fodder and an opportunity for Mensah to pad his stats for the Heisman Trophy race. 6. Texas Projected remaining record: 2-1at No. 21 LSU -- Lvs. Arkansas -- Wat Texas A&M -- WThe Longhorns are going into Death Valley to face a desperate LSU team that's sitting on three losses already. That's a dangerous situation for Texas to walk into, and the Horns leave Baton Rouge with a loss. Arkansas is as good a rebound spot as you're going to find in the SEC, so that shouldn't be an issue for the Horns. Admittedly, Texas taking three losses into College Station is a risky proposition, but Texas A&M may already have seven losses by that point. 5. Notre Dame Projected remaining record: 3-0vs. Boston College -- Wvs. SMU -- Wat Syracuse -- WI would say Notre Dame is poised for a letdown performance, but I'm not sure Boston College could take advantage of it, even if the Fighting Irish do come out flat. As for Syracuse, I know SMU has already fallen victim to the JMA Wireless Dome magic, but the Orange will be greatly out-matched in the regular-season finale. That leaves the Mustangs as the only real threat to Notre Dame, and even that is a stretch. Kevin Jennings will need to play the best game of his career if SMU is going to pull the upset. 4. UCLA Projected remaining record: 2-1vs. Illinois -- Wat Michigan -- Lvs. No. 18 USC -- WCall me a hater or a doubter, but I don't see UCLA running the table in the regular season. That means the Bruins will have to lose one of their last three games. It's just a matter of figuring out which one. Ultimately, Michigan was the choice for a few reasons. The travel and weather could be brutal at that time of year, and the Wolverines defense is capable of making Ty Dieffenbach uncomfortable. USC is another potential loss, but Bob Chesney will have his team ready to go in a big rivalry matchup against the Trojans. 3. Alabama Projected remaining record: 3-0at Vanderbilt -- Wvs. Chattanooga -- Wvs. Auburn -- WAlabama has the easiest road to the finish line of any team currently in the College Football Playoff field, which is why that win over LSU was so huge. The Crimson Tide can get away with their "C" game against Vanderbilt and Chattanooga, with all due respect to the Commodores and Mocs. Anything can happen in the Iron Bowl, but an Auburn win would be a true stunner this season, especially since the game is being played in Bryant-Denny Stadium. 2. Utah Projected remaining record: 2-1at No. 23 Arizona -- Lat TCU -- Wvs. West Virginia -- WAll the ingredients for a letdown game are present this weekend. Utah is coming off an emotional rivalry win at home, and now it has to go on the road to face a quality opponent in Arizona. Fortunately for the Utes, they can afford a loss to the Wildcats and still be comfortably in the playoffs. After that, TCU is a mess, and I'm not convinced the West Virginia defense will be able to get a defensive stop in Salt Lake City. 1. Georgia Projected record: 3-0vs. No. 22 Missouri -- Wat No. 17 South Carolina -- Wvs. Georgia Tech -- WBased on how Georgia has looked over the last two weeks, it's hard to see the Bulldogs blowing one of these games down the stretch. If Missouri can't run the ball at home against Texas, how am I supposed to believe it'll be able to run the ball in Athens. Williams-Brice Stadium will present a tricky test -- especially if LaNorris Sellers is on his game -- but I'm not about to pick against Georgia in that game. The Dawgs are just a tier or two above the Gamecocks.