College Football Playoff Rankings Update
SEC, Big Ten, then everyone else
The College Football Playoff selection committee released its latest rankings on Tuesday night. It was the thrid time the committee has released its Top 25 in 2024, providing some insight into where teams stand as the season winds down and we get closer to the inaugural 12-team playoff field.
Here is your CFP Top 25 with two weeks left in the regular season.
Oregon (11-0)
Ohio State (9-1)
Texas (9-1)
Penn State (9-1)
Indiana (10-0)
Notre Dame (9-1)
Alabama (8-2)
Miami (FL) (9-1)
Ole Miss (8-2)
Georgia (8-2)
Tennessee (8-2)
Boise State (9-1)
SMU (9-1)
BYU (9-1)
Texas A&M (8-2)
Colorado (8-2)
Clemson (8-2)
South Carolina (7-3)
Army (9-0)
Tulane (9-2)
Arizona State (8-2)
Iowa State (8-2)
Missouri (7-3)
UNLV (8-2)
Illinois (7-3)
To no surprise, the top 5 remains unchanged, and those teams seem like locks to make the field barring complete catastrophes. Still, there will be plenty of arguments about the quality of wins on the resumes of teams like Texas, Indiana, and Penn State.
The changes begin at No. 6, as Notre Dame climbs two spots to replace a previously unbeaten BYU. In turn, BYU falls 8 spots to No. 14 after its first loss. The Cougars also now sit behind SMU, which they beat earlier this year.
The SEC dominates the poll with 4 of the next 5 teams and 6 teams in the Top 15. Those teams are all still alive for the 12-team field, and the additional 2 SEC teams outside the Top 15 (South Carolina and Missouri) amplify those teams’ resumes and clearly show how much the committee values the conference. It’s even more telling that the ACC is the only actual conference represented in the top 10 other than the SEC and the Big Ten.
The ACC has 3 teams in the Top 25: Miami (FL), Clemson, and SMU; while the Big 12 is all clustered between No. 14 and No. 22. Each Power Four conference champion automatically makes the playoff field, so it will be interesting to see who gets left out in the cold when it comes to the at-large bids.
Boise State remains the top Group of Five team in the poll, and its potential Mountain West championship opponent (UNLV) now enters the poll, keeping the conference at least in the conversation regardless of which team wins.
The American Athletic Conference is the Mountain West’s main competition, with No. 19 Army and No. 20 Tulane in the hunt. Like the MWC, those two teams will likely meet in the conference championship.