Every team ranked ahead of Georgia has a worse strength of schedule and a worse strength of record (with the exception of Oregon)
If the season ended today, the Georgia Bulldogs would be the No. 11 seed in the College Football Playoff bracket. Georgia would have to go on the road to play the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the playoff.
The Bulldogs might need some help to get a first-round bye. Georgia is done with SEC play, so the Dawgs must watch how other teams perform over the next couple of weeks to learn their SEC championship fate. Of course, Georgia will have to beat Georgia Tech to make the playoff unless the Bulldogs win the SEC championship.
The selection committee is disrespecting Georgia. The committee ranks Georgia lower than both the AP Poll and the US LBM Coaches Poll. The committee appears to favor win-loss record over everything else including strength of schedule, ranked wins and strength of record.
How many teams ranked ahead of Georgia would have been able to go 8-2 with Georgia’s schedule? Not very many in our estimation. Only the Oregon Ducks have a better strength of record than Georgia. The Bulldogs have the toughest strength of schedule in the country.
All strength of schedule and strength of record metrics are according to ESPN.
No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs
Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
Record: 8-2
Strength of schedule: No. 1
Strength of record: No. 2
Ranked wins: No. 3 Texas, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 17 Clemson (Note: all ranked wins are based on the playoff rankings and not the playoff seeding)
Losses: No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 7 Alabama
No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels
Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Record: 8-2
Strength of schedule: No. 29
Strength of record: No. 12
Ranked wins: No. 10 Georgia, No. 18 South Carolina
This week, a new SEC team is in that spot. If the playoff started today, the Tennessee Volunteers would miss the cut after their 31-17 loss to Georgia over the weekend at Sanford Stadium.
While the Crimson Tide’s win over a Football Championship Subdivision opponent (Mercer) might seem relatively unimpressive, consider this: Not only did Alabama leap Tennessee and the BYU Cougars after those teams lost, but the Tide also jumped the 9-1 Miami Hurricanes, the highest-ranked ACC team.
Interestingly, one of biggest changes in the rankings was the selection committee showing us what it thought of the Big 12’s lack of a true conference power. After BYU was exposed in a 17-13 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks (4-6), the committee moved Boise State — the highest-ranked Group of Five team and projected Mountain West champion — ahead of the Cougars and, thus, into the No. 4 seed.
As a reminder, playoff rankings and actual seeding are two different things. Miami is the No. 8 team in the committee’s rankings, but they’re the No. 3 seed as the projected ACC champion. And as with last week, SMU may be one of the first teams out in the rankings, but the Mustangs still have a direct path to the ACC title game.
With that out of the way, here’s a look at what the bracket for the 12-team field would look like if the College Football Playoff started today, as well as who Alabama would face.
Projected Conference Champions, First-Round Byes
No. 1 seed: Oregon Ducks
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Oregon College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 1
Oregon Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 1
Oregon 2024 Record: 11-0 overall, 8-0 Big Ten
Barring an upset loss to Washington, Oregon will remain in this spot until at least the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.
No. 2 seed: Texas Longhorns
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Texas College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 3
Texas Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 2
Texas 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 5-1 SEC
Like last week, Texas is the projected No. 2 seed as the highest-ranked SEC team, though more college football analysts this week are trending in the direction of Alabama taking the conference crown. Part of that is how Texas and Alabama have looked in recent weeks. The Crimson Tide have been on a tear since their 24-17 loss at Tennessee. Texas lost by two scores to Georgia and looked largely uninspiring in a 20-10 win at Arkansas last week.
No. 3 seed: Miami Hurricanes
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Miami College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 8
Miami Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 3
Miami 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 5-1 ACC
Miami had a bye in Week 12 and closes the regular season with a home game against Wake Forest and a road trip to Syracuse.
No. 4 seed: Boise State Broncos
Ashton Jeanty runs for a touchdown against San Jose State at CEFCU Stadium. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Boise State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 12
Boise State Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 4
Boise State 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 6-0 MWC
Honestly? I think the selection committee got this one right. Can you name one Big 12 team that you’d feel 100% comfortable wagering on to beat Boise State? I can’t, and that’s why I’m fine with Ashton Jeanty and the Broncos surpassing BYU this week.
First Round CFP Matchups
No. 12 BYU Cougars seed at No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes
Quinshon Judkins celebrates his touchdown against Northwestern at Wrigley Field. David Banks-Imagn Images
BYU College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 14
BYU 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 6-1 Big 12
Ohio State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 2
Ohio State 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten
The Buckeyes remain the highest-ranked at-large seed — and the biggest example of the difference between playoff ranking vs. playoff seeding. Ohio State still has a chance to take the No. 1 overall spot in the rankings when the final 12-team field is announced in December, but it will have to beat two current top five teams to do it.
No. 11 seed Georgia Bulldogs at No. 6 seed Penn State Nittany Lions
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Georgia College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 10
Georgia 2024 Record: 8-2 overall, 6-2 SEC
Penn State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 4
Penn State 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten
TV executives, not to mention conference homers, would salivate over this potential matchup between an SEC heavyweight and a Penn State program looking to become one in the Big Ten.
No. 10 seed Ole Miss Rebels at No. 7 seed Indiana Hoosiers
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Ole Miss College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 9
Ole Miss 2024 Record: 8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC
Indiana College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 5
Indiana 2024 Record: 10-0 overall, 7-0 Big Ten
Can Ole Miss avoid the upset bug against a Florida Gators team that suddenly doesn’t seem that bad? Probably, but it’s an early kickoff in Gainesville against a team that just scored its first upset of 2024 and would love to ruin someone’s College Football Playoff hopes.
As for the Hoosiers, Curt Cignetti’s team faces what has to be the biggest game in the history of IU football when it heads to Columbus to face Ohio State. Indiana obviously wants to win, but even a close or competitive loss to the Buckeyes would keep the Hoosiers in the playoff conversation.
Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard celebrate a touchdown againsr Mercer at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images
Alabama College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 7
Alabama 2024 Record: 8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC
Notre Dame College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 6
Notre Dame 2024 Record: 9-1 overall
Last week’s rankings had Alabama on the road in the first round of the Playoff at another Indiana campus (Bloomington). But it would be the Crimson Tide at Notre Dame, if the playoffs began today. In terms of heavyweight college football programs that ooze tradition, this would be an epic matchup for an on-campus playoff game.
Alabama still needs to avoid any calamities at Oklahoma and against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but the Crimson Tide are well-positioned for a trip to the SEC championship game in Atlanta entering Week 13. Meanwhile, Notre Dame will have to ruin one of college football’s biggest feel-good stories this week by beating an Army team that’s 9-0 and then beat USC at the Coliseum on Nov. 30.
On The Bubble/First Four Out
Josh Heupel walks off the field after Tennessee lost to Georgia 31-17 at Sanford Stadium. Imagn Images
No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (8-2)
No. 13 SMU Mustangs (9-1)
No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies (8-2)
No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes (8-2)
CFP Quarterfinals
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. 8/9 Winner
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Texas Longhorns vs. 7/10 Winner
Peach Bowl: No. 3 Miami Hurricanes vs. 6/11 Winner
Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Boise State Broncos vs. 5/12 Winner
Georgia moved past just two teams (who both lost) in the College Football Playoff rankings after beating Tennessee
The Georgia Bulldogs are back in the College Football Playoff bracket after a statement 31-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers. Georgia rises to the No. 11 seed and are ranked No. 10.
Georgia moved past Tennessee and BYU, which both lost.
The Bulldogs now have an outside shot at making the SEC championship. They won the Tennessee game due to a solid game from quarterback Carson Beck and five sacks by the group of Chaz Chambliss, Smael Mondon Jr. and Damon Wilson II, who also forced a fumble.
After losing to No. 9 Ole Miss, the Bulldogs temporarily found themselves out of the playoff, and they were in a playoff eliminator against No. 11 Tennessee. Never count out Kirby Smart’s squad.
Georgia showed why it belongs in this bracket. It now has two wins against top 11 teams. Barring an upset loss to either UMass, which just fired its coach, or Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs should make the final bracket when the last playoff rankings come out.
Georgia is slated to play the Penn State Nittany Lions, the No. 6 seed, in the first round on Dec. 20 or 21.
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
For the first time, 12 teams will participate in the College Football Playoffs. There are automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions and to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to at-large teams.
When next College Football Playoff rankings come out?
What teams sit in the top 12 of the third week of CFP rankings?
It was a good day for Oregon on Tuesday. The Ducks learned they will be a part of the Big Ten Championship Game. They also remain No. 1 in the CFP Rankings.
The Big Ten weighed everything and recognized no matter what happens in the conference through the rest of the regular season, the Ducks will be one of the top two teams.
A school they could find themselves playing in a rematch in the Big Ten championship, Ohio State, remains No. 2.
The only non-Big Ten school in the top five is No. 3 Texas. Behind the Longhorns are Penn State and Indiana. The Hoosiers put their undefeated record on the line Saturday at Ohio State.
Sixth is Notre Dame, which has been rolling and only has a loss to Northern Illinois. Alabama is seven, Miami from the ACC is eighth, followed by two more SEC schools, Ole Miss and Georgia.
The 11th and 12th slots are filled by Tennessee and Boise State. The Broncos could wind up with a first-round bye depending on how things play out through the remainder of the regular season.
Another key game this week has Notre (No. 6) playing Army (No. 19) at Yankee Stadium.
Do you still feel good about where Ohio State is? #GoBucks
It’s Tuesday towards the tail-end of the 2024 college football season and that means the latest CFP rankings have been released after Week 12. Yes, there were some teams that lost among the top 12, so there was a bit of a shake up.
We are most concerned about where Ohio State is, and we’re happy to tell you that the Buckeyes remained at No. 2 — just like the past three rankings — just behind No. 1 Oregon. Behind the Ducks and Buckeyes and rounding out the top ten is Texas (3), Penn State (4), Indiana (5), Notre Dame (6), Alabama (7), Miami (FL) (8), Ole Miss (9), and Georgia (10). Just outside the top ten are Tennessee (11) and Boise State (12).
Here’s a look at the rest of the College Football Playoff rankings after Week 12, the third time the CFP committee has ranked teams and unveiled them.
Ohio State can probably afford to lose one more game and still make the College Football Playoff, but that leaves one of its goals off the table, and that’s winning the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes will next kick off for a top-five matchup with Indiana this weekend.
2024’s first CFP rankings will offer an early look at the playoff bracket for Ohio State football. Here’s how to watch.
It’s that time of the week again — at least at this point in the college football season. The CFP Rankings are set to be unveiled again on Tuesday, the third reveal of the season.
If you are here, there’s a good chance you are trying to locate when and where to watch these rankings to find out where Ohio State lands after its beatdown of the Northwestern Wildcats in Wrigley Field Saturday.
If so, you are in luck because we have everything you need to know to sit down after a long day of work, grab some food and a beverage of your choice and enter the debate fray on where teams like the Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, and Penn State Nittany Lions fall.
Sorry, Michigan fans, it’s been a long season for you in 2024. Here’s how to find and watch the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night.
How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show
TV Channel: ESPN
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch CFP rankings reveal live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]
College Football Playoff rankings release date:
Date: Tuesday, November 19
What time is CFP rankings release?
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
Ohio State football CFP rankings projection
There’s little doubt on where Ohio State will land. It was ranked No. 2 the last couple of weeks and there’s nothing that has happened to change that since Oregon is still undefeated and likely still No. 1. The Buckeyes haven’t done anything to fall below where they have been over the last couple of weeks.
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
For the first time, there will be 12 teams participating in the College Football Playoffs. There are five automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to the seven at-large teams.
How does the College Football Playoff format work?
The top four seeds will be on a bye as the CFP kicks off. The next four highest-seeded teams will host on-campus playoff games as follows:
No. 5 vs No. 12, winner will play No. 4
No. 6 vs No. 11, winner will play No. 3
No. 7 vs No. 10, winner will play No. 2
No. 8 vs No. 9, winner will play No. 1
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Here’s where college football writers and pundits see Alabama in the College Football Playoff picture before Tuesday’s updated CFP rankings.
Many things are still up in the air heading into Week 13 of the college football season, including the SEC Championship Game picture where it appears Alabama football is on track to meet the Texas Longhorns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 7.
Alabama moved up two spots to No. 7 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll after a 52-7 win over Mercer last Saturday. Jalen Milroe played for two quarters and change, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for one more. Milroe was 11-of-16 for 186 yards through the air and rushed six times for 43 yards.
The Crimson Tide got big games from freshman sensation Ryan Williams, senior tight end Robbie Ouzts, and many others en route to compiling 508 yards of total offense.
Alabama is 8-2 overall and sits at 4-2 in SEC play entering its final two regular season games. Kalen DeBoer’s team is hot at the right time, and they’re hoping to not only reach the College Football Playoff but make a deep run in the 12-team field once there.
The Crimson Tide were No. 10 in last week’s CFP rankings. The new rankings will be unveiled Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
In the meantime, here’s what national college football writers and others in the sport’s media universe are saying about Alabama’s Playoff chances — and who they might face.
Expect Alabama to move up again in new CFP rankings
ESPN’s Heather Dinich ($) sees Alabama moving up in the rankings for the second straight week after debuting at No. 11 in the initial rankings. That would move Alabama into the No. 9 seed. Dinich projects Notre Dame to move up one spot, as well, to the No. 8 seed.
Dinich said of Alabama and Notre Dame:
“As an independent, Notre Dame can only earn one of the seven at-large bids because the five other spots are guaranteed to conference champions. That means the Irish can’t get a first-round bye, but they can get a home game, which happens in this scenario. This is arguably the most difficult part of the bracket because the winner has to play the No. 1 team in the country, and the (Oregon) Ducks will have been resting.”
CFP experts project new SEC champion entering Week 13
There’s a common theme among many college football analysts in their updated Playoff predictions entering this week: the Alabama Crimson Tide are their new projected SEC champion.
USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith sees Alabama as SEC champions, a week after he had the Crimson Tide in as an at-large berth.
Smith breaks down what’s changed since last week:
“Usually playing against Mercer doesn’t result in a team improving its College Football Playoff seeding. But this week’s bowl projections see Alabama rise into the No. 2 spot in the field as the Crimson Tide are forecasted as the SEC champions.
“The team Alabama replaces is Texas. While the Longhorns beat Arkansas, there are questions whether they can defeat both Texas A&M and the Crimson Tide away from home to secure the conference title. And the lack of quality wins on the Texas resume means its seeding slot should fall behind other contenders Georgia and Mississippi.”
Likewise, CBS Sports prognosticator Jerry Palm favors the Crimson Tide to win the SEC in his updated Playoff bracket and projections. Palm sees Alabama as the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff and playing its first 12-team CFP game in the Sugar Bowl.
Veteran college football writer Andy Staples also favors Alabama to win the SEC in his new College Football Playoff projections. Staples sees the Crimson Tide earning the No. 2 seed behind the top-seeded Oregon Ducks. He cautions that Alabama still needs to be on “high alert” in its final two regular-season games against Oklahoma this Saturday and against Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 30.
Over at The Athletic ($), Stewart Mandel and Scott Dochterman see Alabama winning the SEC to get the No. 2 seed, as well. The two have the Crimson Tide facing the winner of a No. 10 vs. No. 7 seed game between Indiana and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens. Ohio State was the duo’s projected No. 1 seed.
At-large berth in 12-team CFP wouldn’t spell doom for Alabama football
Over at 247Sports, analyst Brad Crawford favors Texas to win the SEC. But Crawford has much higher expectations for Alabama than just making the Playoff. He favors Alabama to go all the way to the College Football Playoff Championship (national title game).
To do so, he takes Alabama to win a first-round Playoff game against Notre Dame in South Bend, as well as a win over ACC champion Miami in the quarterfinal round in the Peach Bowl. From there, it’s on to the Orange Bowl for a rematch against the Georgia Bulldogs. Crawford sees Alabama beating the Dawgs to set up a CFP title game clash with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Explains Crawford:
“Could the Crimson Tide run the table with Jalen Milroe and get to the finale as a possible double-digit seed? This is what makes the expanded playoff so unique — hot teams move on. Ohio State is the projected 1-seed here because we’re expecting the Buckeyes to get the better of Oregon in the Big Ten title game and then potentially beat the Ducks again in the playoff. That would be huge for Ryan Day.”
In his updated Playoff forecast, The Sporting News’ Bill Bender also sees Alabama facing Notre Dame in South Bend in the No. 9 vs. No. 8 seed first-round matchup. He sees Alabama winning that game, then beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl before falling to Ohio State in the semifinals in the Orange Bowl.
Notes Bender:
“(Ohio State’s) matchup with Alabama would be fitting, considering that was a semifinal in the first College Football Playoff in 2014.”
Lastly, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura ($) also have the Tide as an at-large team in the Playoff, with Texas as their projected SEC champion. Both ESPN scribes have Alabama winning a first-round game and then falling to Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Tuesday night’s new CFP rankings will offer an updated look at the playoff picture and bracket for Alabama football. Here’s how to watch the rankings.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans won’t want to miss this week’s updated College Football Playoff rankings reveal.
As expected, Alabama football won its annual “FCS Week” game against Mercer — though it did come against a Bears team that is ranked No. 9 in the latest FCS Coaches Poll.
Moreover, two teams ranked ahead of the Crimson Tide in last week’s CFP rankings lost over the weekend. The BYU Cougars fell 17-13 in an upset loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Tennessee Volunteers lost 31-17 to the Georgia Bulldogs.
Alabama (8-2) stands to benefit from those teams’ losses in both the actual CFP rankings as well as in terms of seeding. Last week, the selection committee’s seeding would have had the Crimson Tide taking on the Indiana Hoosiers in a first-round game in Bloomington.
Here is how you can watch the latest College Football Playoff rankings show Tuesday night.
How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show
TV Channel: ESPN
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch CFP rankings reveal live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]
College Football Playoff rankings release date:
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
What time is CFP rankings release?
Start Time: 6 p.m. CT
Alabama football CFP rankings projection
Alabama moved up to the No. 10 seed in last week’s rankings. If the Crimson Tide are on the move again this week, look for them in the No. 8-9 range.
How many teams are in College Football Playoff 2024?
Yes, for the first time, there will be 12 teams participating in the College Football Playoffs — five automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions, and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to at-large teams.
How does the College Football Playoff format work?
The top four seeds will have a bye when the CFP kicks off. The next four highest-seeded teams will host on-campus playoff games as follows:
No. 5 vs No. 12, winner will play No. 4
No. 6 vs No. 11, winner will play No. 3
No. 7 vs No. 10, winner will play No. 2
No. 8 vs No. 9, winner will play No. 1
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions.
How does the bracket for the 12-team College Football Playoff look after Georgia and Miami lost, and Alabama won?
There’s a great deal of football left to be played, but if the 12-team College Football Playoff started today, the Georgia Bulldogs would be out.
The Alabama Crimson Tide would be in, as would the Texas Longhorns, Tennessee Volunteers and Ole Miss Rebels. Yes, Ole Miss jumped Georgia in Tuesday’s updated selection committee rankings after its 28-10 victory over the Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Georgia is No. 12 in the new list, but is the selection committee’s first team out followed by the SMU Mustangs.
As for Alabama, the Crimson Tide moved up one spot to No. 10 following their 42-13 blowout win at LSU.
But playoff rankings and actual bracket seeding are two different things. The Miami Hurricanes are the No. 9 team in the playoff committee rankings, but they’re the No. 4 seed as the projected ACC champion.
Again, there’s a great deal of football still to be played with conference championship races to be sorted out. SMU may be one of the first teams out in the latest rankings, but it still controls its ACC title game path. The same is true for Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes in the Big 12. Both teams have three remaining regular-season games.
Here’s a look at what the bracket for the 12-team field would look like if the College Football Playoff started tomorrow, as well as who Alabama would face.
Projected Conference Champions, First-Round Byes
No. 1 seed: Oregon Ducks
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Oregon College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 1
Oregon Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 1
Oregon 2024 Record: 10-0 overall, 7-0 Big Ten
The Oregon Ducks are one of just three unbeaten Power Four schools after Miami lost at Georgia Tech. Indiana and BYU are the other two. Oregon is also ranked No. 1 in both the Coaches Poll and AP poll. This is an easy choice by the committee.
No. 2 seed: Texas Longhorns
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Texas College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 3
Texas Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 2
Texas 2024 Record: 8-1 overall, 4-1 SEC
Texas is the No. 2 seed because it is projected to win an SEC that still has a number of other teams that could make their way to Atlanta, including Alabama. With Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss, the Longhorns overtook the Bulldogs for the top spot among SEC teams.
No. 3 seed: BYU Cougars
The Brigham Young Cougars run on the field after defeating the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images
BYU College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 6
BYU Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 3
BYU 2024 Record: 9-0 overall, 6-0 Big 12
A big surprise this season is the Big 12 championship race, which most preseason predictions awarded to Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes. But it’s BYU that controls its title game path after surviving last week’s rivalry with Utah and close calls against Baylor and Oklahoma State.
No. 4 seed: Miami Hurricanes
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Miami College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 9
Miami Current College Football Playoff Seed: No. 4
Miami 2024 Record: 9-1 overall, 5-1 ACC
Miami’s projection is a bit interesting because it is third in the ACC standings behind SMU and Clemson, the latter of which has two losses on the season. But Cam Ward and the ‘Canes are still on a path to get to the ACC championship game, provided they avoid further upsets against Wake Forest and Syracuse.
First Round CFP Matchups
No. 12 seed Boise State Broncos at No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes
TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates with Jeremiah Smith (4) after scoring a touchdown against the Purdue Boilermakers: Samantha Madar-Imagn Images
Boise State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 13
Boise State 2024 Record: 8-1 overall, 5-0 Mountain West
Ohio State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 2
Ohio State 2024 Record: 8-1 overall, 5-1 Big Ten
The Buckeyes are the highest-ranked example of the difference between playoff ranking and playoff seeding. Ohio State still has a great chance to take the No. 1 overall seed when the final 12-team field is announced in December.
While Boise State is one spot behind Georgia in the CFP rankings, it is the highest-ranked Group of Five squad and the projected No. 12 seed. The Broncos would draw a tough matchup: a visit to Columbus.
No. 11 seed Ole Miss Rebels at No. 6 seed Penn State Nittany Lions
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Ole Miss College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 11
Ole Miss 2024 Record: 8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC
Penn State College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 4
Penn State 2024 Record: 8-1 overall, 5-1 Big Ten
Big Ten teams are doing very well for themselves in the expanded playoff field. New conference member Oregon leads the way, and Ohio State is, well, Ohio State — a perennial league power. At the onset of the 2024 season, no one seemed more likely to benefit from the 12-team format than Penn State, and that is bearing out.
In Oxford, Lane Kiffin won the biggest game in his five seasons at Ole Miss with the victory over Georgia. The Rebels’ Week 5 loss to Kentucky is an ugly one, but their chances of reaching the playoff are strong if they avoid the upset bug against the Florida Gators and their Egg Bowl showdown with Mississippi State (in Oxford).
No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers
Jalen Milroe runs for a touchdown in the second half at Tiger Stadium. Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Alabama College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 10
Alabama 2024 Record: 7-2 overall, 4-2 SEC
Indiana College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 5
Indiana 2024 Record: 10-0 overall, 7-0 Big Ten
Imagine for a moment Alabama makes the playoff but has to go on the road to a snowy Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, sure, but fans would never forget such a matchup. Alabama moved up one spot from last week’s CFP rankings after crushing LSU behind Jalen Milroe’s four touchdown runs and a smothering defense. The Crimson Tide’s remaining schedule features a quality Football Championship Subdivision opponent, Mercer (No. 9 in the FCS rankings), a road trip to Oklahoma and their Iron Bowl showdown with Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Indiana has been the biggest surprise in the Big Ten and college football. The Hoosiers survived a close call at home against Michigan over the weekend and have a bye this Saturday before heading to Columbus to face Ohio State. The Hoosiers would be in with a win against the Buckeyes, but even a competitive loss would keep them in the playoff conversation.
Squirrel White celebrates with Dylan Sampson against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Tennessee College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 7
Tennessee 2024 Record: 8-1 overall, 5-1 SEC
Notre Dame College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 8
Notre Dame 2024 Record: 8-1 overall
Notre Dame’s stunning 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois will not be enough to keep Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish out of the playoff field. Riley Leonard has led Notre Dame to quality wins over Texas A&M and Louisville. Outside of that Week 2 loss, the Irish have dominated the rest of the teams on their schedule, including last week’s 52-3 beat down of Florida State.
As for Tennessee, the committee moved Indiana ahead of Nico Iamaleava and the Vols despite their win over Mississippi State. Tennessee faces Georgia Saturday in Athens in what should be a must-win game for both teams.
On the Bubble/First Four Out
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Georgia Bulldogs, SMU Mustangs, Texas A&M Aggies, Kansas State Wildcats
No one envisioned preseason No. 1 Georgia would be on the outside looking in by November, but Carson Beck continues to struggle and the Bulldogs have a three-score loss on their résumé. A loss to Tennessee at home this weekend would devastate the Bulldogs’ playoff hopes.
CFP Quarterfinals
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. 8/9 Winner
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Texas Longhorns vs. 7/10 Winner
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 BYU Cougars vs. 6/11 Winner
Peach Bowl: No. 4 Miami Hurricanes vs. 5/12 Winner
Georgia football will learn where it stands in the second CFP rankings after their loss to Ole Miss
The Georgia Bulldogs have their backs against the wall after losing 28-10 to Ole Miss. Fortunately, we are no longer in the four-team College Football Playoff era.
Georgia remains a SEC championship contender, but the Bulldogs must defeat the Tennessee Volunteers this Saturday. Tennessee is on top of the SEC standings. Georgia has to win the SEC championship in order to secure a first-round bye in the playoff.
Georgia football College Football Playoff projection
We project Georgia to be ranked No. 11 in the second playoff rankings behind a pair of two-loss teams in Alabama and Ole Miss. Georgia lost to both Alabama and Ole Miss. We do think Georgia will be ranked over several one-loss teams like Miami and SMU. Georgia was No. 3 in the previous playoff rankings.
How to watch CFP rankings reveal
TV Channel: ESPN
Start time: Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET
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How many teams are in CFP 2024?
For the first time, there will be 12 teams participating in the College Football Playoffs. There are five automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to the seven at-large teams.
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How does the College Football Playoff format work?
The top four seeds will be on a bye as the CFP kicks off. The next four highest-seeded teams will host on-campus playoff games as follows:
