Daniel Jones can’t catch a break lately.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback is already dealing with a fractured fibula. Now, he’s dealing with a new injury in Week 14. While the left leg was the one with the fracture, Jones appeared to suffer a non-contact injury to his right Achilles on a rainy day in Jacksonville.

In the midst of a playoff race, Indianapolis can ill afford to lose the quarterback that has been key to their success. And for Jones, it’s a tough reality to face after reviving his career with the Colts.

Here’s the latest on Jones.

Daniel Jones injury update

Jones has been ruled out with an Achilles injury.

The quarterback limped to the locker room after being evaluated in the blue medical tent with a non-contact right leg injury.

It wasn’t a good-looking scene in Jacksonville as Jones fell to the ground after a throw on third down. He immediately reached for his right calf, slamming his helmet on the field as trainers evaluated the injury.

Riley Leonard came into the game to replace Jones.

Colts QB depth chart

Daniel Jones
Riley Leonard

The Colts are rolling with just two healthy quarterbacks on their active roster. Jones has owned the QB1 since winning the competition over Anthony Richardson during the offseason.

Richardson has been on injured reserve with an orbital fracture, leaving Leonard as the other remaining signal caller on the roster.

Leonard was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame product made a brief cameo appearance on Oct. 26 against the Tennessee Titans, but hasn’t seen any other game action in his rookie season.

Brett Rypien is on the Indianapolis practice squad, but he was not elevated to the active roster for Week 14. If Leonard falls victim to injury, the Colts will be without a traditional quarterback the rest of the way.

This story has been updated.

The white towel hid Zach Ertz’s face, but the sobs didn’t leave much for the imagination. 

The Washington Commanders tight end suffered a knee injury against the Minnesota Vikings Dec. 7 and will not return. 

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota – in for the injured starter Jayden Daniels – threw high to Ertz in the third quarter. Vikings safety Jay Ward came in low and plowed into Ertz’s vulnerable right leg. 

After the hit, Ertz immediately signaled to the Washington sideline for assistance and, unable to put any weight on the leg, he was carried off the field. 

Mariota consoled Ertz while the latter was on the cart, and the broadcast cameras showed a distressed Daniels – who, despite the 10-year age gap, has developed a strong kinship with the veteran presence that was key to turning around the losing ways during Dan Quinn’s first season in 2024. 

Ertz played in all of the Commanders’ games last season and had seven touchdowns. In 2025, he was up to 50 catches and four touchdowns. 

Ertz has said he would play the rest of his career with Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and his connection with Daniels was another motivating factor to return for a 13th NFL season this year.

This story will be updated.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered an apparent arm injury in the second half of his team’s Week 14 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Daniels’ injury occurred after he threw a fourth-down interception. The quarterback was trying to chase down the intercepting player, Andrew Van Ginkel, when Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers came and threw a block on him.

Daniels went tumbling to the ground as a result of the block. As he did, he hit his left elbow – which he previously dislocated in Week 9 – on the ground. He briefly remained hunched over in pain on the field before making his way back to the sideline.

Originally, Daniels sat on the bench while receiving medical attention. Before long, he had the brace on his left elbow removed and made his way to the blue medical tent.

Jayden Daniels injury update

Daniels was officially deemed ‘questionable’ to return by the Commanders because of his elbow injury.

Daniels remained in the medical tent on Washington’s first drive after his injury. He eventually exited the tent wearing a towel on his head and without a wrap on his injured arm.

(This story will be updated as more information becomes available.)

Notre Dame was edged out for one of the final at-large spots despite winning its last 10 games of the season.
BYU was the only Power Four conference team with at least 11 wins to not make the playoff bracket.
Despite winning a Power Four conference championship, 8-5 Duke was not selected for the playoff field.

The College Football Playoff is set, and it’s been determined which 12 teams have a shot at winning a national championship − but not everyone is happy.

Throughout the season, teams and fans have been making the case about which schools should be in the field. Unfortunately, not everyone with an argument gets validation. The selection committee either thought a resume wasn’t strong enough or someone else was a better fit. Now instead of making the bracket, teams that just missed out have to instead play for a typical bowl game.

That shouldn’t make those teams on the outside feel like they weren’t worthy. No matter how big or small the College Football Playoff is, there’s going to be some teams that felt like they should’ve been in and had a real good argument. That’s no different this season.

Here are the teams that were snubbed from making the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame

There isn’t a team that feels like it got hard done more than Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were in a mix for the final two at-large spots with Alabama and Miami, and they got the short end of the stick.

It all points to the season-opening loss Notre Dame suffered against Miami. There’s no argument that the head-to-head matters, but how it got to the point is the frustrating part. Notre Dame was ranked ahead of Miami for several weeks and seemed to be in, but the Hurricanes leaped over the Fighting Irish on the final and all important ranking with neither playing.

Miami had worse losses compared to Notre Dame, with the team left out losing to two playoff opponents. After starting 0-2, the Fighting Irish cruised past the rest of its schedule with 10 consecutive wins, all of them by double-digits. What also might have hurt was only one of those wins was a ranked victory, a defeat of Southern California.

The Fighting Irish were the national runner-up last season and looked like a team that could get there once again, but instead they won’t get a chance.

Brigham Young

Eight Power Four conference teams won at least 11 games this season. Brigham Young is the only one of those that didn’t make the field, the second year in row the Cougars won double-digit games and didn’t qualify.

Ahead of the season, the selection committee introduced new criteria where teams wouldn’t be penalized heavily for losing to high-quality opponents. BYU only had two losses, both of which came against No. 4 seed Texas Tech, including in the Big 12 title game. With no bad losses, it also had some notable wins against ranked teams in Utah and Arizona.

Texas

The preseason No. 1 team in the country won’t be in the playoff field. The Longhorns record of 9-3 doesn’t look playoff-worthy, but how they obtained the record gives them a case to make it.

It starts with the losses. Texas lost the season opener to Ohio State and Georgia, both teams that got first-round byes. The major stain was the road loss it suffered against a Florida team that finished 4-8. However, the Longhorns did have impressive wins, notably against rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M, which both made the playoff field. There’s also the third ranked win it secured when they outplayed Vanderbilt, all victories against top 15 opponents. Not wins were all the same though, as Texas had shaky overtimes wins against Kentucky and Mississippi State.

It’s hard to justify a three-loss team getting an at-large spot, but if there was ever a time for one to make it, Texas would get the nod after having some of the best wins in the country.

Vanderbilt

The most successful season in Vanderbilt history ends just short of a playoff appearance. The Commodores achieved their first 10-win campaign and were one of six SEC teams to have double-digit wins on the season. Yet, Vanderbilt is the only one of that group to not make the bracket.

Vanderbilt took care of business when it had to, butt what really hurt was those notable victories turned out to not be so impressive. The Commodores beat South Carolina, LSU, Missouri and Tennessee when they were all ranked, but they all fell out of the polls by the time the regular season ended. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt lost to the teams it played and did finish ranked in Alabama and Texas.

Beating the Crimson Tide and Longhorns likely would’ve cemented a playoff bid, but Vanderbilt fell victim its wins not holding up their worth, something that wasn’t really its fault. A magical season for a team that hasn’t had many of them ends in a ‘what if.’

Duke

Should a team with five losses make the playoff? No, but the Blue Devils won a Power Four conference championship, and that will be something Duke will continue to say is the reason they should be in.

Duke’s main issue was James Madison got in over them. Just by eye test, it’s obvious the 12-1 Dukes got in over the 8-5 Blue Devils, and it doesn’t help the ACC champion lost to two Group of Five teams – Tulane and Connecticut. However, Duke’s argument is quality of opponents. Seven of their wins came against Power Four opponents, while James Madison had none, with its only opportunity a 28-14 loss to Louisville. According to ESPN’s strength of schedule, Duke had the the 74th toughest schedule, while James Madison is 123rd out of 136 FBS teams.

The Blue Devils do have an actual argument, but the selection committee was going to have a tough time justifying Duke making the field.

Tom Hicks, the Texas businessman who owned two pro sports franchises in the Dallas area, as well as an English Premier League soccer team, died Saturday, Dec. 6, at the age of 79.

Hicks died peacefully in Dallas, surrounded by family, a spokesperson said in a press release on Sunday. 

As the owner of MLB’s Texas Rangers, Hicks signed shortstop Alex Rodriguez to what was then the largest contract in baseball history − a 10-year, $252 million deal at the 2000 Winter Meetings − one that wouldn’t be surpassed until Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million pact with the Miami Marlins 15 years later.

Hicks owned the Rangers from 1998 to 2010 as they won three division titles and appeared in the 2010 World Series.

Three years earlier, Hicks purchased the Dallas Stars of the NHL, owning them from 1995 to 2011 and winning a Stanley Cup in 1999.

‘Our franchise would not be in the position we are today without the ownership of Mr. Hicks,’ the team said in a statement. ‘His legacy will be honored by our franchise for decades to come.’

Hicks expanded his sports empire into the world of seccer in 2007, when he acquired a 50% stake in Liverpool of the EPL.

He also served on the University of Texas’s board of regents from 1994 to 1999.

The US LBM Coaches Poll panel has weighed in, and while it will not necessarily reflect the opinion of the College Football Playoff committee, it does present a bit of history on its own.

Indiana, as expected, will enter the postseason as the No. 1 team on the heels of its Big Ten title victory against Ohio State. It marks the first top ranking for the Hoosiers in the history of the coaches poll. The vote was not quite unanimous, however, as SEC champion Georgia did receive one of the 62 first-place votes cast this week. The Bulldogs will enter the playoff as the No. 2 team overall, which will also likely be their seed once the bracket is unveiled. Ohio State falls to No. 3. Big 12 champion Texas Tech leapfrogged Oregon into the No. 4 spot, again likely presaging the Red Raiders earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.

A trio of likely SEC playoff participants hold down the next three spots. No. 6 Mississippi, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 8 Oklahoma figure to be first-round hosts along with the fifth-ranked Ducks.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 15

For what it’s worth, the voters moved Notre Dame and Miami (Fla.) into the last two top-10 slots, sliding Alabama down to No. 11 after its one-sided loss to Georgia in the SEC finale. Brigham Young falls just two spots to No. 13 behind No. 12 Vanderbilt, with No. 14 Texas and No. 15 Utah holding their respective positions.

In other rankings of note, Sun Belt champion James Madison holds steady at No. 19. North Texas, which lost to No. 18 Tulane in the American final, is the week’s lone dropout. Houston climbs back into the poll at No. 24. Virginia stays in at No. 21, a demotion of five positions following its loss to Duke in the ACC title game.

This story was updated to change a video.

This college football postseason lineup is full of familiar faces in the College Football Playoff and some newcomers to the field. The 11 games to decide the national champion will start with first-round games at campus sites on Dec. 19 and 20. Four winners will advance to face the four teams with first-round bye in quarterfinals on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

The semifinals will be played at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, respectively. The national championship game will be held Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

But there’s also more than just the chase for the national championship. A full lineup of bowl games will kickoff on Dec. 13 and run alongside all the playoff matchups

A look at the entire postseason schedule with dates, times and television details along with all the matchups that will take you through the holiday season and beyond:

LA Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 14, Inglewood, Calif., 8 p.m., ABC

MATCHUP: Boise State (9-4) vs. Washington (8-4)

This could be dubbed the Chris Petersen bowl with the Broncos and Huskies being the two final stops on his illustrious coaching career. Boise is off its third Mountain West title in row. Washington had a solid season in the Big Ten behind quarterback Demond Williams.

Salute to Veterans Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 16, Montgomery, Ala., 9 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: MAC vs. Sun Belt

Cure Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 17, Orlando, Fla., 5 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Old Dominion (9-3) vs. South Florida (9-3)

The Monarchs improved by four victories to earn their second bowl trip in three seasons. The Bulls were a favorite in the American until tough loss to Navy knocked them out. They’ll be without head coach Alex Golesh, who left to take the coaching vacancy at Auburn.

68 Ventures Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 17, Mobile, Ala., 8:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Delaware (6-6) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6)

It was a successful first year in the Bowl Subdivision for the Blue Hens, who earned a postseason spot with narrow home wins against Louisiana Tech and Connecticut. The Ragin’ Cajuns are making their eight bowl appearance in a row.

Xbox Bowl

DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 18, Frisco, Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN2

MATCHUP: Arkansas State (6-6) vs. Missouri State (7-5)

It’s the third consecutive trip to the postseason for the Red Wolves, who rely on quarterback Jaylen Raynor to power their offense. The Bears make their first bowl game in their first season the FBS.

Myrtle Beach Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 19, Conway, S.C., 11 a.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Conference USA/MAC/Sun Belt

Gasparilla Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 19, Tampa, Fla., 2:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: American/ACC/SEC

College Football Playoff

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 19, , 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN

MATCHUP: Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Alabama (10-3)

The Sooners already beat the Crimson Tide earlier this season at Tuscaloosa. Now they’ll host the Tide in a game that should be electric on Friday night. The winner gets the task of facing Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

College Football Playoff

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 20, noon, ABC/ESPN

MATCHUP: Texas A&M (11-1) vs. Miami (10-2)

The Hurricanes were the last at-large team in the field and get the task of traveling to College Station. The Aggies will be looking to erase the bitter taste of losing to rival Texas in the regular-season finale that kept them out of the SEC title game.

College Football Playoff

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m., TNT/truTV

MATCHUP: Mississippi (10-2) vs. Tulane (11-2)

The is a rematch of a regular-season game also played in Oxford that the Rebels comfortably won. But Lane Kiffin won’t be on the sideline this time, and the Green Wave are off winning the American.

College Football Playoff

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV

MATCHUP: Oregon (11-1) vs. James Madison (12-1)

The Dukes benefitted from five-loss Duke winning the ACC to make the field as the fifth-rated conference champion. They’ll face a difficult task of traveling West to face the Ducks.

Idaho Potato Bowl

DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 22, Boise, Idaho, 2 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: MAC vs. Mountain West.

Boca Raton Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 23, Boca Raton, Fla., 2 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Group of Five vs. Group of Five

New Orleans Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 23, New Orleans, 5:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt

Frisco Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 23, Frisco, Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Group of Five vs. Group of Five

Hawaii Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 24, Honolulu., 8 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: California (7-5) vs. Hawaii (8-4)

The Bears are being led by former Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich, who serving as interim coach after the firing of Justin Wilcox. The Rainbow Warriors return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.

GameAbove Sports Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 26, Detroit, 1 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. MAC

Rate Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 26, Detroit, 1 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Minnesota vs. New Mexico

It was a great season for the Lobos in Jason Eck’s first year with the program. They’ll head North to face the Gophers, making an seventh trip to the postseason under P.J. Fleck.

First Responder Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 26, Dallas, 8 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: American/ACC/Big 12

Military Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Annapolis, Md., 11 a.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: ACC vs. American

Pinstripe Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Bronx, N.Y., noon, ABC

MATCHUP: ACC vs. Big Ten

Fenway Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Boston, 2:15 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: ACC vs. American

Pop-Tarts Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Orlando, Fla., 3:30 p.m., ABC

MATCHUP: ACC vs. Big 12

Arizona Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Tucson, Ariz., 4:30 p.m., CW

MATCHUP: MAC vs. Mountain West

New Mexico Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Albuquerque., 5:45 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Mountain West vs. Group of Five

Gator Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Jacksonville, Fla., 7:30 p.m., ABC

MATCHUP: ACC vs. American

Texas Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Houston, 9:15 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. SEC

Texas Bowl

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 27, Houston, 9:15 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. SEC

Birmingham Bowl

DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 29, Birmingham, Ala., 2 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: ACC/American/SEC

Independence Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 30, Shreveport, La., 2 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. Conference USA

Music City Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn., 5:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC

Alamo Bowl

DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 30, San Antonio, Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. Pac-12

ReliaQuest Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla., noon, ESPN

MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC

Sun Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas, 2 p.m., CBS

MATCHUP: ACC vs. Pac-12

Cheez-It Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla., 3 p.m., ABC

MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC

Las Vegas Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 31, Las Vegas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Cotton Bowl

DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 31, Arlington, Texas, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Ohio State vs. Texas A&M-Miami winner

Orange Bowl

DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 1, Miami Gardens, Fla., noon, ESPN

MATCHUP: Texas Tech vs. Oregon-James Madison winner

Rose Bowl

DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., 4 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Indiana vs. Oklahoma-Alabama winner

Sugar Bowl

DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 1, New Orleans., 8 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Georgia vs. Mississippi-Tulane winner

Armed Forces Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 2, Fort Worth, Texas, 1 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. American/Mountain West/Sun Belt

Liberty Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn., 4:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. SEC

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 2, Charlotte, N.C., 8 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: ACC vs. SEC

Holiday Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 2, San Diego, 8 p.m., Fox

MATCHUP: ACC vs. Pac-12

Fiesta Bowl

DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 8, Glendale, Ariz., 7:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal

Peach Bowl

DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 9, Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal

College Football Playoff championship game

DETAILS: Monday, Jan. 19, Miami Gardens, Fla., 7:30 p.m., ESPN

MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal winners

The New York Jets seem like they’ll need the Tumbler, Batwing, Robin and any number of Batman’s gadgets to avoid missing the playoffs for a 15th consecutive season in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins.

Or maybe they just need to be completely villainous.

In that vein, NYJ linebacker Quincy Williams completely embraced the vibe of the Dark Knight ethos Sunday, when the Jets also debuted their ‘Gotham City Football Club’ alternate ‘Rivalries’ uniforms, which were unveiled over the summer by Nike.

Williams showed up to MetLife Stadium on Sunday morning dressed as the Joker, Batman’s primary nemesis. Unfortunately, the Jets proceeded to play like jokers, quickly falling into a 21-0 first-quarter deficit.

TBD whether Sunday’s starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, was attempting to channel the Riddler.

Between Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama, one brand-name program was going to miss the 2025 College Football Playoff.

And it turns out there’s no luck of the Irish.

Despite consistently appearing above Miami in the CFP rankings since Week 11, the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win over Notre Dame in Week 1 finally was enough to catapult Miami over the Irish.

Both teams finished 10-2, and while the CFP committee kept telling us they weren’t comparing Notre Dame to Miami, things changed in the bracket reveal Sunday, Dec. 7.

Miami got the No. 10 seed, Alabama got the No. 9 seed and the Irish were the first team out.

CFP committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said BYU’s loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship game played a key role in Miami leapfrogging Notre Dame.

‘Once we moved Miami ahead of BYU, then we had that side-by-side comparison that everybody had been hungrying for, Notre Dame and Miami,’ Yurachek said Sunday after the bracket release. ‘And when you look at those two teams on paper, and they are almost equal, on their schedule strength, common opponents, results against common opponents, but the one metric we had to fall back on was the head-to-head.

‘We charged the committee members to go back and watch the game, the Notre Dame-Miami game because it was so far back and we got some interesting debate from our coaches on what that game looked like as we watched it. With that in mind we gave Miami the nod over Notre Dame in to that 10-spot.’

Why did Notre Dame miss College Football Playoff?

Perhaps the writing was on the wall after last week’s CFP rankings. Despite lopsided wins the past two weeks, Notre Dame dropped to No. 10 in last week’s rankings.

The Irish opened the season 0-2, losing by a combined four points to Miami and Texas A&M. Notre Dame then won 10 games in a row, including wins over Mountain West champion Boise State, USC and Pitt.

But Notre Dame owns no wins against top-15 opponents. It feasted on a schedule that included last-place teams from three of the Power Four conferences.

‘I think the ultimate question is: ‘Who’s the best team now?” Irish caoch Marcus Freeman said Dec. 6. ‘And that’s what the playoff committee wants and I’m sure that’s what college football fans want. I think anytime you look at one single data point, it’s going to sway you one way or another.

‘But the committee made it clear on Tuesday that the debate and focus has been on Notre Dame and Alabama. I might not agree with their decision to flip us, but it shows the debate isn’t Notre Dame (and) BYU (or) Miami, it’s Notre Dame and Alabama.’

Notre Dame football 2025 schedule, results

Aug. 31: at Miami, 27-24 loss
Sept. 13: vs. Texas A&M, 41-40 loss
Sept. 20: vs. Purdue, 56-30 win
Sept. 27: at Arkansas, 56-13 win
Oct. 4: vs. Boise State, 28-7 win
Oct. 11: vs. NC State, 36-7 win
Oct. 18: vs. USC, 34-24 win
Nov. 1: at Boston College, 25-10 win
Nov. 8: vs. Navy, 49-10 win
Nov. 15: at Pitt, 37-15 win
Nov. 22: vs. Syracuse, 70-7 win
Nov. 29: at Stanford, 49-20 win

The college football regular season is complete.. The College Football Playoff field will be announced Sunday, Dec. 7. And yet after 15 weeks of play, there is still some mystery about which 12 teams will be part of the bracket.

The No. 1 spot is clear, however, after Indiana took down Ohio State in the Big Ten title game to earn the top seed in the field. Georgia looks set for the No. 2 spot after its dominant SEC title victory against Alabama. Look for the Buckeyes to drop to No. 3 ahead of Texas Tech, which captured its first Big 12 championship.

The order of the next four teams which will have first-round home games should mirror last week’s rankings with Oregon leading, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. After that, things get interesting.

There are two at-large spaces for three teams – Notre Dame, Alabama and Miami. Many interpreted the move of the Crimson Tide to No. 9 ahead of the Fighting Irish in last week’s rankings as a sign that the Hurricanes were in position to move into the field from No. 12 if BYU lost. But there was another possibility. The change gives the committee the flexibility to bump Alabama back a place after a loss and give separation between Notre Dame and Miami. And that’s the expectation of how this will shake out. The committee has consistently valued the Fighting Irish in a higher position and nothing from Saturday will change that.

Yes, Hurricanes fans will cry foul because of the head-to-head win against the Fighting Irish. But this isn’t just a debate between those two teams. It’s between three teams and the criteria to split those teams goes deeper than just that one data point.

There’s also some drama about whether ACC champion Duke makes the field or the fifth conference champion spot goes to James Madison. But too many losses by the Blue Devils -especially two against Group of Five teams – make it likely the ACC is shut out of the field.

The rest of the postseason lineup is starting to come into focus with some teams accepting bids. Those schools are in bold below. All those spots will be confirmed Sunday after the playoff field is announced.

Notes: Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick. Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.

College football bowl predictions for CFP and full postseason