**Colorado Joins CFP Field, Boise State Earns First-Round Bye Amid Week 12 Chaos**

This week's College Football Playoff (CFP) projections have seen significant shifts due to the turbulent results of Week 12. Notably, Colorado has solidified its position within the CFP field, while Boise State secures a first-round bye.

BYU faced a shocking 17-13 defeat at home against the now 4-6 Kansas, altering the landscape of the bowl projections. Colorado is projected to win the Big 12 over the Cougars, but they are expected to cap off the final rankings at 13th place. Meanwhile, Mountain West champion Boise State is projected to land in the No. 4 seed, earning them a first-round bye.

As the fifth highest-ranked conference champion, Colorado would be seeded 12th in the CFP field automatically. The dynamic could change further as BYU plays Arizona State this week. A loss for BYU could create a three-way tie for second place with Iowa State and the Sun Devils. In such a scenario, Iowa State would likely win and face Colorado for the Big 12 title.

This shift has affected other teams as well; Ole Miss is projected to miss out, while Tennessee claims the last spot in the bracket. The Volunteers now join the list of two-loss SEC teams following their 31-17 loss to Georgia. The CFP Selection Committee's ranking of Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame this week will be pivotal for future projections, assuming no upsets occur for these teams in the concluding weeks of the season.

The Big Ten and SEC continue to dominate this week's CFP projection, each contributing four teams. The ACC, Big 12, Mountain West, and Notre Dame each have one representative in the projection. Looking ahead, Indiana faces a significant challenge as they travel to Ohio State. A win could place Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, especially with an anticipated victory against rival Purdue in the following week.