The Las Vegas Review-Journal released its weekly College Football Playoff projections Sunday, selecting Miami, Georgia, Utah, and Indiana as the four teams most likely to reach the semifinals at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25. The Hurricanes jumped to the top spot after quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 387 yards and Malachi Toney caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-23 rout of Pittsburgh. Miami faces a critical matchup at Notre Dame on Nov. 7 that could shape the playoff picture.
Georgia holds the second position despite being idle last week, giving the Bulldogs time to recover from a loss to Auburn before hosting Florida. The Review-Journal noted Georgia plays three of its final five regular-season games at home and the SEC Championship Game takes place in Atlanta, keeping the Bulldogs in the championship conversation.
Utah remains the lone undefeated team in the Big 12 after BYU fell at UCF and Texas Tech lost at Cincinnati. The Utes were projected third pending the result of their late game against Houston, which kicked off near the Review-Journal's print deadline. A home game against rival BYU on Nov. 7 could secure a top-four seed for Utah if the Utes remain unbeaten.
Indiana rounds out the top four after a close win over Michigan. The Hoosiers are favored to win their remaining games aside from a potential matchup with USC, and the Review-Journal projects Indiana would be favored over UCLA in a hypothetical Big Ten title game featuring former James Madison coaches Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney. Ohio State was dropped from the top four based on the expectation that quarterback Julian Sayin is out for the season.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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