Georgia leads SEC-heavy Week 10 CFP projections

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach each placed four SEC teams in the 12-team College Football Playoff field in projections published Nov. 9, with Georgia holding the No. 1 seed in both brackets. Alabama, Texas and Tennessee also made both projected fields after a Week 10 in which the No. 5 Crimson Tide won at No. 14 LSU.

Bonagura gave Alabama the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye, while Schlabach projected the Tide at No. 8 hosting No. 9 Indiana. Both analysts had No. 5 Texas hosting No. 12 Boise State. Bonagura sent No. 9 Tennessee to No. 8 Miami, while Schlabach had the No. 7 Volunteers hosting No. 10 Wake Forest.

Under the 2026 format described by ESPN, the Power 4 champions and highest-ranked Group of 6 team receive automatic bids. The next seven highest-ranked teams complete the field, and the four highest-ranked teams receive byes regardless of whether they won a conference championship.

Both projections put Georgia in the national championship game against Utah on Jan. 25 in Las Vegas. Bonagura projected an Alabama-Georgia semifinal in the Orange Bowl, while Schlabach matched Georgia with Miami in the Sugar Bowl.

Beyond the playoff, both analysts placed Ole Miss in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Their other SEC projections varied: Auburn landed in either the Gasparilla or Liberty Bowl, while Florida’s possibilities were the Gasparilla and Gator bowls. The Gator and Citrus bowls were projected destinations for LSU. Kentucky appeared in the Music City or Citrus Bowl, with South Carolina assigned to either the Music City or Liberty Bowl.

Bonagura projected Mississippi State for the Birmingham Bowl. Missouri went to the Texas Bowl in his bracket and the Las Vegas Bowl in Schlabach’s, with Oklahoma taking the opposite destinations.

Why it matters

The SEC placed four teams in each ESPN projection, and Georgia received the No. 1 seed from both analysts. Alabama’s projected position ranged from a first-round bye to a campus game, showing how much postseason placement remains unsettled.

What to watch next

The actual CFP and bowl matchups will be set Dec. 6. The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.