2025 College Football Season: Week 5 Recap and Week 6 Playoff Projections
The first month of the 2025 college football season has concluded with an eventful Week 5 that saw several Top 25 upsets. Notable losses included Florida State falling to Virginia in overtime, Penn State, LSU, and Georgia losing to Oregon, Ole Miss, and Alabama, respectively. As we enter October, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have updated their College Football Playoff and bowl game projections for Week 6.
This year's 12-team CFP format eliminates automatic first-round byes for conference champions, with the top four teams receiving opening byes. The first round will feature on-site home games for teams ranked 5-8. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals and then to the semifinals at designated bowl sites. The experts project the following matchups for the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket:
Bonagura: No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Oklahoma
Schlabach: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Ole Miss
Both experts predict the Group of Five representative to come from the American Conference. Bonagura favors Memphis, while Schlabach leans towards South Florida. They also differ on the outcome of the SEC race, with Bonagura projecting Oklahoma to fall to Ole Miss in the SEC title game, while Schlabach sees Texas A&M defeating Ole Miss.
In another projection, Bonagura anticipates Iowa State facing Penn State, while Schlabach predicts Penn State against Texas Tech. The experts have varying opinions on the matchups, with Bonagura expecting Iowa State to make the 12-team field, while Schlabach foresees Penn State securing a spot.
Georgia, despite a recent loss to Alabama, is expected to secure the SEC's final Playoff bid as the No. 10 seed. Bonagura projects Georgia against Texas Tech, while Schlabach envisions a matchup between Georgia and Oklahoma in the first round.
Alabama is predicted to face Indiana in the first round by both experts. They agree on the matchup, with the Crimson Tide returning to the Playoff as the No. 9 seed against Indiana as the 8th seed.
The experts project different matchups for the quarterfinals, with Bonagura predicting Texas Tech against Oregon and Schlabach foreseeing Georgia against Oregon. Both experts believe Ohio State and Oregon will finish 1-2 in the CFP rankings.
In the semifinals, Bonagura predicts Miami against Oregon, while Schlabach anticipates Ole Miss against Oregon. Both experts foresee an All-Big Ten national championship game between Ohio State and Oregon.
In conclusion, the 2025 college football season promises exciting matchups and potential upsets as teams vie for a spot in the College Football Playoff and bowl games. Stay tuned for more updates and projections as the season progresses.