College Football Playoff rankings: Projected 12-team bracket; Miami out, SMU in

Admin December 3, 2024

The College Football Playoff entered its final phase this Tuesday, marking the last time the committee would release its projections ahead of Selection Sunday’s definitive rankings.

That is when we get the final bracket and clarity on the teams that will make up the first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket.

Bowl season will look a great deal different this year, and Tuesday’s rankings reveal offered plenty of intrigue with upsetting losses this past weekend for the likes of Miami and Ohio State.

Here is everything that went down during the final CFP rankings release show.

CFP RANKINGS GRADES: How committee fared

*-projected first-round bye

No. 1 Oregon (12-0)*
No. 2 Texas (11-1)*
No. 3 Penn State (11-1)
No. 4 Notre Dame (11-1)
No. 5 Georgia (10-2)
No. 6 Ohio State (10-2)
No. 7 Tennessee (10-2)
No. 8 SMU (10-2)*
No. 9 Indiana (11-1)
No. 10 Boise State (11-1)*
No. 11 Alabama (9-3)
No. 12 Miami (10-2)
No. 13 Ole Miss (9-3)
No. 14 South Carolina (9-3)
No. 15 Arizona state (10-2) – would earn final spot in CFP as fifth-highest ranked projected champion
No. 16 Iowa State (10-2)
No. 17 Clemson (9-3)
No. 18 BYU (10-2)
No. 19 Missouri (9-3)
No. 20 UNLV (10-2)
No. 21 Illinois (9-3)
No. 22 Syracuse (9-3)
No. 23 Colorado (9-3)
No. 24 Army (10-1)
No. 25 Memphis (10-2)

Based on latest CFP rankings and projections.

First Round:

No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Penn State
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State
No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Notre Dame
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Georgia

Quarterfinals:

(Winner of Arizona State vs. Penn State) vs. No. 4 Boise State
(Winner of Tennessee vs. Ohio State) vs. No. 1 Oregon
(Winner of Alabama vs. Notre Dame) vs. No. 3 SMU
(Winner of Indiana vs. Georgia) vs. No. 2 Texas

In the fifth and final rankings before Selection Sunday, the first teams out were Miami and Ole Miss. While both teams have a strong case for a playoff bid, neither team will be participating in their conference championship, meaning their seasons are likely done. It would take a massive collapse, injury, or something similar in order for any team with no more games on their schedule to be moved up in the rankings.

During the reveal show, a member of the CFP Rankings committee noted that Alabama (3-1 against currently ranked teams) has done better against ranked teams than Miami (0-1 against currently ranked teams), which ultimately gave them the edge in the rankings despite their three losses.

All times Eastern.

First Round:

Game 1: Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN
Game 2: Saturday, December 21 at 12 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 3: Saturday, December 21 at 4 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 4: Saturday, December 21 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN

Playoff Quarterfinals Round:

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, December 31 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 1 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. | ESPN
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 8:45 p.m. | ESPN

Playoff Semifinals Round:

Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

National Championship:

National Championship: Monday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

How to watch CFP Rankings release show: Time, TV, streaming

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

Erick Smith, USA TODAY

Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Texas (SEC champion)*
SMU (ACC champion)*
Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Georgia
Penn State
Tennessee
Boise State**
Indiana
Alabama

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Alabama
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Indiana
No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Boise State
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 9 Tennessee

R.J. Young, FOX Sports

Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Texas (SEC champion)*
SMU (ACC champion)*
Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
Notre Dame
Penn State
Indiana
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
Alabama
Boise State**

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Alabama
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Tennessee
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Ohio State

Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today

Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Alabama
South Carolina
Arizona State

Heather Dinich, ESPN

Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Miami
Alabama
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Arizona State
Iowa State
Clemson
BYU
Missouri
UNLV
Colorado
Illinois
Syracuse
Memphis
Texas A&M

The fifth College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season will be released Tuesday, Dec. 3. This is followed by a CFP selection show on Dec. 8 to announce the 12-team playoff field.

Here is the schedule for the College Football Playoff rankings show. All times are Eastern:

Ranking 5: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7-7:30 p.m.
Selection Day: Sunday, Dec. 8, noon-4 p.m.

The College Football Playoff rankings are released each week through a CFP rankings show broadcasted by ESPN every Tuesday, from Nov. 5 through Dec. 3. This week’s show is slated to air starting at 7 p.m. ET and ending at 8 p.m. ET.

The College Football Playoff rankings show will air on ESPN, with the broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Fans can also stream the show on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

As of Dec. 3, here are the latest College Football Playoff title odds from BetMGM:

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