We are now through two weeks of college football and this season is rolling! Here’s my latest bracket projection. There have been multiple big games and with big games comes movement. On top of that, this article contains a full breakdown of all the current G6 spot contenders. Let’s dive into it all below!
Notes
Projected Champions:
SEC: Texas
Big 10: Indiana
ACC: Miami (FL)
Big 12: Texas Tech
G6 Bid: Boise State
Others Considered: USC, BYU, Penn State, SMU, Tennessee, Houston, Louisville, Virginia
Texas jumps to the No. 1 overall spot after their win over Ohio State on Saturday. Ohio State drops to No. 7, mainly due to the fact that they have a loss and many of these other teams don’t. LSU is up to No. 6 after their dominant win over Clemson and pulling away in the 2nd half vs. LA Tech. Ole Miss moves to No. 8 after their impressive win over Louisville. The two will face off Saturday night in Oxford in one of the most anticipated games in college football history
Texas Tech drops to No. 11 after not impressing over the first 2 weeks. They have a massive game with Houston (considered) on Friday.
Georgia, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, and Indiana all move up due to Oregon dropping out.
Texas A&M and Alabama remain steady after picking up power 4 wins.
Boise State picked up a crucial win over Memphis to maintain their No. 12 spot.
G6 Contenders
Boise State (Pac-12)
The Broncos are 1-1 so far this season, with a close 34-27 loss at Oregon and a dominant 38-20 win over Memphis. Looking ahead, there is a real chance that Boise could go undefeated the rest of the way. Their toughest remaining games are: a road trip to Western Michigan on September 26th and a three-game stretch in November where they travel to Colorado State (7th), host Oregon State (14th) and host San Diego State (21st). They are currently the favorite for the G6 spot and just need to keep winning.
Tulsa (American)
The Golden Hurricane have had an impressive opening two weeks, starting the year 2-0. They have a 24-10 win over Oklahoma State, who took down Oregon in week two. Their other result was a 23-17 win over Sam Houston State. Looking at their schedule, they have another opportunity to pick up a Power Four win. On September 26th, they travel to Fayetteville for a clash with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Their toughest conference games remaining are: Road game at UTSA (Nov. 27th) to close out the season, hosting North Texas (Oct. 1st), at Navy (Oct. 10th), and at Tulane (Nov. 7th). There are multiple resume-builders on here that if won, will give them the edge over other G6 teams.
North Dakota State (Mountain West)
The Bison are 3-0 through two weeks, with wins over Jax State (33-7), Fordham (38-0), and Air Force (38-32). Air Force is a top-half team in the Mountain West, winning as they did helps bolster their resume. In the MW, there are plenty of opportunities for the Bison. They play Sacramento State this Saturday; after that, it’s all conference play. Their toughest games are: road tests against UNLV (Oct. 10th) and New Mexico (Oct. 24th), Hawai’i (Nov. 14th), and SJSU (Nov. 27th). Yes, NDSU plays just about every top team in the Mountain West, on the road. These are tough games but they are also massive opportunities for a team looking to make the College Football Playoffs in their first year as an FBS team.
James Madison (Sun Belt)
The Dukes are also 2-0 to start this season, beating Liberty 20-13 and Wagner 87-3. Liberty is a top-tier team in Conference USA, so this was a solid start. In the Sun Belt, there are plenty of contenders for the title. The main ones are JMU, Appalachian State, Troy, Old Dominion, Louisiana, and Georgia Southern. The Dukes play nearly all of these teams. However, before that, JMU has a huge match-up on the road against San Diego State this Saturday. Winning this game will be pivotal to their playoff chances. Shifting back to the Sun Belt, they travel to Old Dominion (Sept. 26th), Georgia Southern (Oct. 10th), App State (Oct. 22nd), and host Troy (Oct. 29th). The Dukes have plenty of opportunities in a loaded Sun Belt.
Western Michigan (MAC)
Everyone knows about the Western Michigan Broncos and their controversy. They are officially 1-1 on the season, with a 13-12 loss to Michigan and a 49-14 win over Monmouth. No one is completely certain what the CFP committee will rule when it comes to the Michigan game, so we will call it a close loss for now. However, the FBS Committee ruled that it cannot overturn Michigan’s win, despite acknowledging that improper replay protocols led to an incorrect outcome. Time will tell what the committee goes with.
For now, all the Broncos can do is win football games. Their top competition in the MAC consists of Miami (OH), Toledo, and UMass. Before MAC play, they have a matchup with the Boise State Broncos on September 26th at home. Jumping back to the MAC, WMU travels to Toledo (Oct. 24th) and hosts Miami (Nov. 24th). Fortunately for them, they avoid quite a few of the MAC’s top teams. If they beat Boise, they have a real case for the playoffs.
Affiliate Links
Use code SSM25 at https://statelineco.shop/ for a great discount on some awesome apparel!
SSM is now an ambassador for Bucked Up! Use the code SSM2026 for a discount at https://www.buckedup.com