{
    "meta": {
        "service": "Versus Sports Simulator",
        "about": "Versus Sports Simulator's projection of the FBS playoff field the selection committee might pick in December, if the rest of the season goes the way Versus expects.",
        "disclaimer": "A projection produced by the Versus Sports Simulator ratings, not the selection committee's field. The committee picks the real field once the regular season ends.",
        "sport": "College football",
        "division": "FBS",
        "season": "2026-2027",
        "week": 8,
        "isLatestWeek": false,
        "ratingsDate": "2026-10-18",
        "view": {
            "pickedBy": "committee",
            "fieldAsOf": "end-of-season",
            "description": "Versus Sports Simulator's projection of the FBS playoff field the selection committee might pick in December, if the rest of the season goes the way Versus expects."
        },
        "url": "https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fbs/playoff-projection/2026/week-8.json",
        "htmlUrl": "https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fbs/playoff-projection/2026/week-8",
        "license": "Free to quote with attribution to Versus Sports Simulator and a link to https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fbs/playoff-projection/2026/week-8"
    },
    "format": {
        "name": "College Football Playoff",
        "status": "official",
        "checked": null,
        "summary": null,
        "reported": null,
        "assumed": null,
        "sources": null,
        "fieldSize": 12,
        "byes": 4,
        "seededThrough": 12,
        "automaticBids": 6
    },
    "field": [
        {
            "seed": 1,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": true,
            "team": "UCLA",
            "abbreviation": "UCLA",
            "conference": "Big Ten",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "12-1",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 2,
            "versusRank": 2,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 33,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 7,
            "playoffChance": 99.4
        },
        {
            "seed": 2,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": true,
            "team": "Miami FL",
            "abbreviation": "MIA",
            "conference": "ACC",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "ACC champion",
            "conferenceTitleChance": 73.5,
            "record": "12-1",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 4,
            "versusRank": 3,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 54,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 3,
            "playoffChance": 98.7
        },
        {
            "seed": 3,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": true,
            "team": "Ohio State",
            "abbreviation": "OSU",
            "conference": "Big Ten",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "Big Ten champion",
            "conferenceTitleChance": 42.3,
            "record": "11-2",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 7,
            "versusRank": 1,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 16,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 1,
            "playoffChance": 90.2
        },
        {
            "seed": 4,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": true,
            "team": "Georgia",
            "abbreviation": "UGA",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "SEC champion",
            "conferenceTitleChance": 34,
            "record": "11-2",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 15,
            "versusRank": 6,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 32,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 6,
            "playoffChance": 80.7
        },
        {
            "seed": 5,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Notre Dame",
            "abbreviation": "ND",
            "conference": "FBS Independents",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "Top-12 guarantee",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "11-1",
            "gamesPlayed": 12,
            "currentRank": 8,
            "versusRank": 9,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 52,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 2,
            "playoffChance": 97.8
        },
        {
            "seed": 6,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Utah",
            "abbreviation": "UTAH",
            "conference": "Big 12",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "Big 12 champion",
            "conferenceTitleChance": 28.4,
            "record": "12-1",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 10,
            "versusRank": 13,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 19,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 16,
            "playoffChance": 64.2
        },
        {
            "seed": 7,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Brigham Young",
            "abbreviation": "BYU",
            "conference": "Big 12",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "11-2",
            "gamesPlayed": 12,
            "currentRank": 1,
            "versusRank": 7,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 50,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 10,
            "playoffChance": 89.5
        },
        {
            "seed": 8,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Kentucky",
            "abbreviation": "UK",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "9-3",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 5,
            "versusRank": 4,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 2,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 5,
            "playoffChance": 66.4
        },
        {
            "seed": 9,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Indiana",
            "abbreviation": "IND",
            "conference": "Big Ten",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "10-2",
            "gamesPlayed": 12,
            "currentRank": 20,
            "versusRank": 11,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 44,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 14,
            "playoffChance": 84.1
        },
        {
            "seed": 10,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "Alabama",
            "abbreviation": "ALA",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "9-3",
            "gamesPlayed": 12,
            "currentRank": 14,
            "versusRank": 5,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 14,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 9,
            "playoffChance": 70.5
        },
        {
            "seed": 11,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "LSU",
            "abbreviation": "LSU",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "bidType": "at-large",
            "bidDetail": "At-large",
            "conferenceTitleChance": null,
            "record": "9-3",
            "gamesPlayed": 12,
            "currentRank": 12,
            "versusRank": 8,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 3,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 4,
            "playoffChance": 29.1
        },
        {
            "seed": 12,
            "seeded": true,
            "bye": false,
            "team": "James Madison",
            "abbreviation": "JMU",
            "conference": "Sun Belt",
            "bidType": "automatic",
            "bidDetail": "Group of 6 bid, Sun Belt champion",
            "conferenceTitleChance": 76,
            "record": "13-0",
            "gamesPlayed": 13,
            "currentRank": 25,
            "versusRank": 30,
            "strengthOfScheduleRank": 131,
            "strengthOfRecordRank": 22,
            "playoffChance": 64.8
        }
    ],
    "firstTeamsOut": [
        {
            "team": "Texas Tech",
            "conference": "Big 12",
            "record": "10-2",
            "playoffChance": 60.1
        },
        {
            "team": "Wake Forest",
            "conference": "ACC",
            "record": "11-2",
            "playoffChance": 36.1
        },
        {
            "team": "Mississippi",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "record": "9-3",
            "playoffChance": 28.2
        },
        {
            "team": "Boise St",
            "conference": "Pac-12",
            "record": "11-2",
            "playoffChance": 32.4
        },
        {
            "team": "Tennessee",
            "conference": "SEC",
            "record": "9-3",
            "playoffChance": 32.6
        }
    ],
    "firstRoundTravel": {
        "totalMiles": null,
        "tripsUnder400Miles": null,
        "trips": null,
        "milesUnderSeedOrder": null,
        "games": []
    },
    "bracket": [
        {
            "round": "First Round",
            "onCampus": true,
            "games": [
                {
                    "top": "Indiana",
                    "bottom": "Kentucky",
                    "host": "Kentucky",
                    "neutralSite": false,
                    "favorite": "Indiana",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 53
                },
                {
                    "top": "James Madison",
                    "bottom": "Notre Dame",
                    "host": "Notre Dame",
                    "neutralSite": false,
                    "favorite": "Notre Dame",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 90
                },
                {
                    "top": "LSU",
                    "bottom": "Utah",
                    "host": "Utah",
                    "neutralSite": false,
                    "favorite": "LSU",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 64
                },
                {
                    "top": "Alabama",
                    "bottom": "Brigham Young",
                    "host": "Brigham Young",
                    "neutralSite": false,
                    "favorite": "Alabama",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 68
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "round": "Quarterfinals",
            "onCampus": false,
            "games": [
                {
                    "top": "UCLA",
                    "bottom": "Indiana",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Indiana",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 51
                },
                {
                    "top": "Georgia",
                    "bottom": "Notre Dame",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Notre Dame",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 59
                },
                {
                    "top": "Ohio State",
                    "bottom": "LSU",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "LSU",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 53
                },
                {
                    "top": "Miami FL",
                    "bottom": "Alabama",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Alabama",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 60
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "round": "Semifinals",
            "onCampus": false,
            "games": [
                {
                    "top": "Indiana",
                    "bottom": "Notre Dame",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Notre Dame",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 66
                },
                {
                    "top": "LSU",
                    "bottom": "Alabama",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Alabama",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 52
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "round": "National Championship",
            "onCampus": false,
            "games": [
                {
                    "top": "Notre Dame",
                    "bottom": "Alabama",
                    "host": null,
                    "neutralSite": true,
                    "favorite": "Notre Dame",
                    "favoriteWinChance": 50
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}