Projected College Football Playoff rankings: Predictions for who’s in, who’s out

Projected College Football Playoff rankings: Predictions for who’s in, who’s out

December 3, 2024

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ACC commissioner Jim Phillips set the tone for this week’s College Football Playoff rankings by issuing something of a warning shot over satellite radio ahead of conference championship games around the country.

“If you’re inside of that top 12 or so, and you’re projected to be in (the CFP bracket), it would be very alarming for you to be moved out because you played an extra game while everyone else is sitting home,” Phillips declared in an interview on SiriusXM radio Monday. “… You cannot and should not be penalized for having to play a 13th game after a very long season. So, we’ll see how that plays out, but I’m very confident that the committee is going to stand by what they’ve told us.”

It’s clear, after Week 14 losses by Ohio State and Miami, that the final top 25 rankings before the first 12-team bracket is officially revealed on Sunday, carry a significant amount of weight to the movers and shakers in the sport. What will the CFP selection committee do with all those three-loss SEC teams? Can SMU lose in the ACC championship game and still make the bracket? Who’s going to get those final at-large berths?

We’ll have a better sense of those answers after Tuesday night. As you wait, here are national projections and predictions about what the rankings and playoff bracket might look like, as well as information on the 12-team playoff and how to watch the rankings release show:

College Football Playoff predictions 

Erick Smith, USA TODAY

  1. Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
  2. Texas (SEC champion)*
  3. SMU (ACC champion)*
  4. Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Ohio State
  7. Georgia
  8. Penn State
  9. Tennessee
  10. Boise State**
  11. Indiana
  12. 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

  1. Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
  2. Texas (SEC champion)*
  3. SMU (ACC champion)*
  4. Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Penn State
  7. Indiana
  8. Georgia
  9. Ohio State
  10. Tennessee
  11. Alabama
  12. 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

CFP rankings projections

Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today

  1. Oregon
  2. Texas
  3. Penn State
  4. Notre Dame
  5. Georgia
  6. Ohio State
  7. Tennessee
  8. SMU
  9. Indiana
  10. Boise State
  11. Alabama
  12. South Carolina
  13. Arizona State

Heather Dinich, ESPN

  1. Oregon
  2. Texas
  3. Penn State
  4. Notre Dame
  5. Georgia
  6. Ohio State
  7. Tennessee
  8. SMU
  9. Indiana
  10. Boise State
  11. Miami
  12. Alabama
  13. Ole Miss
  14. South Carolina
  15. Arizona State
  16. Iowa State
  17. Clemson
  18. BYU
  19. Missouri
  20. UNLV
  21. Colorado
  22. Illinois
  23. Syracuse
  24. Memphis
  25. Texas A&M

When are College Football Playoff rankings released?

The fifth edition of the College Football Playoff rankings – and the final set of rankings before the first 12-team CFP bracket is revealed – will be revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

How to watch CFP rankings reveal 

The College Football Playoff rankings show will air on ESPN, with the broadcast starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Fans can also stream the rankings show on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
  • Time: 7-7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Stream: Fubo

Watch CFP rankings show with Fubo

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