College football bowl projections: Michigan now top of the playoff ahead of Georgia
Forgive the tennis analogy, but Week 5 could best be described as the contenders for the College Football Playoff holding serve. Yes, there were some comebacks on the road as Georgia slipped past Auburn with a late touchdown and Notre Dame dramatically got past Duke in similar fashion. And those results necessitated some small changes to this week's bow projections.
Georgia - while retaining a spot in the the playoff - falls out of the top spot in favor of Michigan. That adjustment means the Bulldogs are slated to face Texas in the semifinals, while the Wolverines will take on Florida State. The loss by Duke and injury to quarterback Riley Leonard drops the Blue Devils from the Orange Bowl and moves up North Carolina.
The start of October assuredly will bring more clarity, starting this week with Oklahoma and Texas squaring off in their annual Cotton Bowl showdown. Georgia plays host to unbeaten Kentucky, and Ohio State and Washington State are among the other teams without a loss that could slip up. We could also see the end of the line for both Alabama and Notre Dame as both one-loss team must navigate difficult road trips to Texas A&M and Louisville, respectively.
CALM DOWN: The five biggest overreactions from Week 5
BIG BUCKS: Football coaches pay at basketball schools is soaring
Reminder: Some conferences may not fulfill their bowl allotment. Asterisks denote a replacement pick. James Madison is eligible for a bowl if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the spots.