Predicting the ultimate College Football Playoff bracket, rankings

The remaining College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 shall be introduced Sunday, Dec. 8, and issues are sure to alter after convention championship weekend. Before the CFP committee unveils the following rankings, I predict the place the highest 25 groups will land, together with the bracket.

Note that these are my predictions and mine alone. I take a look at head-to-head outcomes, schedule power, video games towards ranked groups and extra to assist rank the groups how I feel the CFP committee will accomplish that. You can learn the CFP committee’s official protocols right here.

2024 College Football Playoff rankings predictions: Final Top 25 projections

These predictions are as all convention championship video games remaining.

1. Oregon (13-0) LW: 1 — The Big Ten champion Ducks are undefeated and would be the No. 1 crew and seed within the postseason.
2. Notre Dame (11-1) LW: 4 — The two groups ranked in entrance of Notre Dame (Texas and Penn State) misplaced final week, and the crew ranked behind the Fighting Irish (Georgia) gained the SEC title. I feel the committee hasn’t allowed Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois at residence damage it in its eyes all season, so I do not suppose that loss will enable it to drop beneath a two-loss SEC Champion.
3. Georgia (11-2) LW: 5 — SEC Champion Georgia have gone into time beyond regulation in every of the final two weeks. The Bulldogs have gained each of these video games and can transfer as much as No. 3 within the rankings.
4. Texas (11-2) LW: 2 — The largest debate shall be between Texas and Ohio State for the No. 4 rating and No. 6 seed. Texas has two losses to Georgia whereas Ohio State has a loss to Oregon and Michigan. I do not suppose the committee will drop the Longhorns beneath the Buckeyes due to who each groups misplaced to, even with OSU having higher wins.
5. Ohio State (10-2) LW: 6 — Ohio State’s profit from a head-to-head win over Penn State and would be the No. 5 ranked crew within the nation. Yet, it is doubtlessly the worst spot to be within the rankings. The Buckeyes would be the No. 7 seed within the playoffs with this rating because the third-highest ranked at-large crew.
6. Tennessee (10-2) LW: 7 — Tennessee will up one spot within the rankings and the committee’s reasoning shall be due to wins. The committee clearly valued win over Alabama sufficient to place the Vols over a trio of one-loss groups final week, so I feel that win will put Tennessee over Penn State too.
7. Penn State (11-2) LW: 3 — Penn State’s greatest win is over Illinois. It’s power of schedule additionally is not the perfect, rating simply thirty sixth within the nation. That means the Nittany Lions will drop to No. 7 in these rankings and play on the highway within the first spherical of the playoffs — even after pushing Oregon to the wire.
8. Boise State (12-1) LW: 10 — Boise State strikes in entrance of Indiana because of a convention championship win.
9. Indiana (11-1) LW: 9 — Indiana ranked above Boise State final week. The order will not matter for seeding, however the Hoosiers fall beneath the Broncos this week.
10. SMU (11-2) LW: 8 — The No. 10 rating shall be for the ultimate playoff spot. The query is, will SMU or Alabama get the spot? If you requested me what the committee thinks on the finish of the third quarter of the ACC Championship sport, I’d say the committee provides the spot to Alabama. However, with SMU forcing a game-winning discipline objective in a loss, the Mustangs confirmed sufficient to the committee to get the ultimate spot and WILL NOT be penalized for enjoying throughout convention championship week.
11. Alabama (9-3) LW: 11 — Three losses are greater than two, particularly when one crew misplaced to as many unranked groups as the opposite crew misplaced to complete. Alabama did not play in its convention championship. The Tide could not do something to enhance its resume this week and in the end, misses the playoff.
12. Miami (FL) (10-2) LW: 12 — The Committee mentioned it is nothing Miami can do with out taking part in on the sphere so the Hurricanes are caught behind Alabama.
13. Ole Miss (9-3) LW: 13 — Like Miami, Ole Miss can be locked in place this week.
14. Arizona State (10-2) LW: 15 — A convention championship strikes Arizona State in entrance of South Carolina, however the committee will not see it as sufficient to maneuver previous an Ole Miss crew that has a head-to-head win over the SEC Champion.
15. South Carolina (9-3) LW: 14 — South Carolina shall be ranked above Clemson as a result of it defeated it simply two weeks in the past.
16. Clemson (10-3) LW: 17 — The ACC Champions have a nonconference in-state ceiling within the rankings, however they’re going to nonetheless make the playoff.
17. Iowa State (10-2) LW: 16 — Staying in line with how the committee treats convention championship losses, Iowa State will stay ranked forward of BYU, a Big 12 crew that did not make the championship sport.
18. BYU (10-2) LW: 18 — BYU stays put at No. 18.
19. Missouri (9-3) LW: 19 — Missouri stays put at No. 19
20. Army (10-1) LW: 24 — A convention championship launches Army into the highest 20 of the rankings.
21. Illinois (9-3) LW: 21 — Illinois might rank above Army, however I do not see it. Therefore it stays put.
22. Syracuse (9-3) LW: 22 — See above for Syracuse.
23. Colorado (9-3) LW: 23 — Colorado will probably fall beneath Army and not using a convention championship.
24. Memphis (10-2) LW: 25 — Memphis will stay ranked this week.
25. Duke (9-3) LW: NR — Duke takes UNLV’s spot after the Rebels misplaced the Mountain West Championship sport. Why is that this? Well, the Blue Devils had been the primary crew from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC to complete 9-3 and never make the regular-season-ending CFP rankings final week since 2015. Now, Duke will get its spot within the rankings AND it additionally provides groups like SMU and Miami a ranked win.

First Teams Out: No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Ole Miss

CFP🏆: College Football Playoff rankings launch schedule

Notable College Football Playoff rankings questions

Which groups will host a first-round sport?

Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee and Penn State all have two losses and not using a convention championship. Only three of those groups will be capable to host a first-round playoff sport at residence. Ohio State will certainly host as a result of it was ranked above Tennessee final week, however what concerning the different three? Will a two-loss Texas drop beneath a two-loss Tennessee within the SEC? Where does a two-loss Penn State land and can it is head-to-head loss to Ohio State matter?

Here’s a take a look at all of their resumes.

CONF CHAMP WEEK RECAP:

What shall be product of SMU vs. Alabama for the ultimate spot?

Who ought to get the ultimate playoff spot between SMU and Alabama? The Mustangs misplaced a convention championship sport and the committee clearly — the distinction in spots No. 8 and No. 11 had been crystal — thought SMU was higher than the Tide final week. Will a loss from SMU when Alabama did not even play knock out the Mustangs? I do not suppose so even with the totally different resumes, however we’ll discover out Sunday.

Who’s the No. 4 seed?

Arizona State and Clemson had been separated by one crew within the rankings final week and each groups gained their convention championship video games. Arizona State was ranked greater, however beat a lower-ranked crew than Clemson beat. Could who you beat for a convention championship be the figuring out issue within the rankings and a seed line?