Week 1 is in the books and we learned quite a few things about the presumed College Football Playoff contenders coming into the season.
Oregon, who was a popular pick to win the national title after the Ducks blitzed the transfer portal, barely scraped by Idaho, 24-14. Dillon Gabriel and company needed a late touchdown in the fourth to put things out of reach for the (*checks note*) Vandals.
Then there’s Georgia, who couldn’t see the season come soon enough with a bevy of offseason troubles following them around. Then, when the scoreboard was on, they went back to being Georgia, pounding Clemson into submission, 34-3.
We got some answers in the Big 12, too, despite most of the games coming against overmatched opponents. The teams at the top of the preseason poll — Utah, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State — all won in convincing fashion against lesser opponents. But, the league as a whole looks like it will be incredibly competitive, and as a result, it might see two teams make college football’s big dance.
Stewart Mandel of The Athletic released his take on the CFP bracket after the events of Week 1, and has both Utah and Kansas State in the 12-team field.
Mandel has Utah winning the Big 12 and ranking as the No. 4 seed, or the lowest ranked of the Power Four Champions. The Utes would have a first-round bye and would face the winner of No. 6 Alabama and No. 12 Memphis, who is projected as the highest-ranked G5 champion.
Meanwhile, Kansas State nabs one of the at-large bids, coming in at No. 11 and the presumed Big 12 runner-up. They face No. 6 Notre Dame in the opening round of this projected CFP bracket.
What do you think? Did The Athletic get it right? Let us know in the member forums!
