2024 Week 1 12-team College Football Playoff rankings prediction
The college football season has officially kicked off and every team that matters has played their first game of the season. That means it’s time to take a really long look at who could be making the making the College Football Playoffs. Things are quite a bit different than they ever have been in the sport.
The four-team playoff field is gone. The 12-team college football playoff field is in. That means that more teams are getting in. It also means that you don't have to win your conference in roder to get a berth. However, winning the conference can mean a better seeding. Though it's not getting everyone a first round bye.
And a first-round bye is big. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded 1-4, while seeds 5 through 12 will fight amongst each other in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the games.
For those wondering where Notre Dame football fits in, they can’t be higher than the 5 seed, but considering they don't need to win a conference championship to get that high seed, it's a decent tradeoff. Without further ado, check out where I see how the College Football Playoffs shaking out after Week 1’s action.
2024 Week 1 12-team College Football Playoffs prediction
Rank | Team | Why are they here | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia | SEC Champions | 1 |
2 | Ohio State | Big Ten Champions | 2 |
3 | Utah | Big 12 Champions | 3 |
4 | Miami | ACC Champions | 9 |
5 | Notre Dame | At Large | 5 |
6 | Kansas | At Large | NR |
7 | Alabama | At Large | 7 |
8 | Missouri | At Large | 12 |
9 | Penn State | At Large | NR |
10 | MIchigan | At Large | 11 |
11 | USC | At Large | NR |
12 | Tulane | AAC Champions | NR |
There are two big changes in this week's College Football Playoffs predictions. The first is that Florida State has dropped out. After their loss to Georgia Tech in Week 0 and Miami's convincing win it looks less likely that the Seminoles will topple the Hurricanes for the ACC championship.
Likewise, it appears less likely that the ACC is getting two bids. The 'Canes stand alone and move up.
What team is getting is getting in as a mid-major also got a shakeup as Boise State drops out after a bad start and a week Mountain West. Tulane jumps in as the probably American conference champs.
You can check out all of my College Football Playoffs predictions in the wake of Week 1 above. Keep checking back every Monday to see how things are changing, or staying the same.