With the SEC’s stranglehold at the top of this week’s Associated Press rankings, here’s a quick refresher on the new expanded College Football Playoff.
As much as it would like, the SEC cannot get 12 teams into the 12-team playoff. The maximum number of teams one conference can get in the playoff is eight teams — its league champion and seven at-large teams.
Of course, the SEC will never get eight teams into the playoff. Will it?
At least not in my bowl projections this week. I only have five SEC teams in my projected College Football Playoff.
Joining the five SEC teams in my playoff projections is a new Group of Five representative: Northern Illinois, courtesy of the Huskies’ upset at Notre Dame.
Included in my bowl projections is the projected point spread of each matchup from Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson’s betting power ratings.
Also, click on the link to download the free Action Network app. It's the perfect place to check scores, track bets, and read analysis and news.
*Conference champions projected to receive automatic bids
Projected College Football Playoff Field
| 1 |  Georgia* | SEC | ||||
| 2 |  Ohio State* | Big Ten | ||||
| 3 |  Miami* | ACC | ||||
| 4 |  Utah* | Big 12 | ||||
| 5 |  Texas | SEC | ||||
| 6 |  Alabama | SEC | ||||
| 7 |  Ole Miss | SEC | ||||
| 8 |  Oregon | Big Ten | ||||
| 9 |  Penn State | Big Ten | ||||
| 10 |  USC | Big Ten | ||||
| 11 |  Tennessee | SEC | ||||
| 12 |  Northern Illinois* | MAC | ||||
College Football Playoff First Round
 CFP First Round Dec. 20 • Eugene, OR Penn State -3 Oregon  | CFP First Round Dec. 21 • Austin, TX NIU Texas -34.5 |
CFP First Round Dec. 21 • Tuscaloosa, AL Tennessee  Alabama -9 | CFP First Round Dec. 21 • Oxford, MS  USC Ole Miss -3 |
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Dec. 31 • Glendale, AZ Utah* Texas -13.5 |  Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Jan. 1 • Atlanta, GA Miami* Alabama -8 |
 Rose Bowl Jan. 1 • Pasadena, CA Ohio State* -6.5 Ole Miss |  Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1 • New Orleans, LA Georgia* -10.5 Oregon |
College Football Playoff Semifinals
 Capital One Orange Bowl Jan. 9 • Miami, FL Georgia -6.5 Texas |  Goodyear Cotton Bowl Jan. 10 • Arlington, TX Ohio State -2 Alabama |
CFP National Championship Prediction
Projections for All Other Bowl Games
 Bahamas Bowl Jan. 4 • Nassau, Bahamas  C. Michigan  Louisiana -13.5 |  Duke's Mayo Bowl Jan. 3 • Charlotte, NC  Florida State -4  Wisconsin |  First Responder Bowl Jan. 3 • Dallas, TX  SMU -8.5  Texas Tech |  TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Jan. 2 • Jacksonville, FL  Auburn  Louisville -2.5 |  Texas Bowl Dec. 31 • Houston, TX  Iowa State -4.5  Kentucky |  Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Dec. 31 • Orlando, FL  Missouri -12.5  Nebraska |  Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Dec. 31 • El Paso, TX  UNC  California -4 |  ReliaQuest Bowl Dec. 31 • Tampa, FL  Michigan  Oklahoma -1 |  Music City Bowl Dec. 30 • Nashville, TN  LSU -11.5  Illinois |  Independence Bowl Dec. 28 • Shreveport, LA  West Virginia -16.5  Army |  Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 28 • San Antonio, TX  Kansas State -2.5  Washington |  Military Bowl Dec. 28 • Annapolis, MD  Boston College  Memphis -8 |  Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Dec. 28 • Tucson, AZ  W. Michigan  Colorado St. -3 |  Pop-Tarts Bowl Dec. 28 • Orlando, FL  Notre Dame -2.5  Oklahoma St. |  New Mexico Bowl Dec. 28 • Albuquerque, NM  San Jose St.  UTSA -1 |  Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28 • Bronx, NY  NC State  Iowa -10.5 |  Wasabi Fenway Bowl Dec. 28 • Boston, MA  Virginia Tech -6  South Florida |  Holiday Bowl Dec. 27 • San Diego, CA  Clemson -16.5  Washington St. |  Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 27 • Las Vegas, NV  Texas A&M -5  Arizona |  AutoZone Liberty Bowl Dec. 27 • Memphis, TN  UCF -4.5  S. Carolina |  Birmingham Bowl Dec. 27 • Birmingham, AL  Pittsburgh  Michigan St. -1.5 |  Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 27 • Fort Worth, TX  Kansas -4  Boise State |  68 Ventures Bowl Dec. 26 • Mobile, AL  Arkansas St.  Bowling Green -3.5 |  Guaranteed Rate Bowl Dec. 26 • Phoenix, AZ  Indiana -0.5  TCU |  Detroit Bowl Dec. 26 • Detroit, MI  Rutgers -14.5  Toledo |  Hawai'i Bowl Dec. 24 • Honolulu, HI  Fresno State  Tulane -0.5 |  Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 23 • Boise, ID  Air Force  Miami OH -10.5 |  Myrtle Beach Bowl Dec. 23 • Conway, SC  East Carolina -2  Coastal Carolina |  Gasparilla Bowl Dec. 20 • Tampa, FL  Syracuse -1  BYU |  StaffDNA Cure Bowl Dec. 20 • Orlando, FL  JMU -7  WKU |  New Orleans Bowl Dec. 19 • New Orleans, LA  Liberty PK  Texas State |  LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk Dec. 18 • Inglewood, CA  Oregon State  UNLV -0.5 |  Boca Raton Bowl Dec. 18 • Boca Raton, FL  Minnesota -14.5  Georgia Southern |  Frisco Bowl Dec. 17 • Frisco, TX  Rice -4.5  Sam Houston |  Camellia Bowl Dec. 14 • Montgomery, AL  App State -12.5  North Texas |
