Well, ladies and gentlemen, the first College Football Playoff Rankings of the 2024 season are here. Among the questions about what we learned, what the committee has seen, and what it all really means, there is one that we can answer.
What would the College Football Playoff bracket look like if the first rankings were the last rankings, setting in stone the path to the College Football National Championship Game for 12 teams?
College Football Playoff Bracket | First-Round
- No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 12 Boise State Broncos
- No. 6 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide
- No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers
The initial College Football Playoff Rankings have Boise State ranked within the top 12, securing a playoff spot regardless of being the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. Importantly, the Broncos were just three spots behind BYU, raising the possibility that the Mountain West team may secure a first-round bye if they win out. The value of the Oregon loss proved strong.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
The initial rankings threw together some mouthwatering matchups in the College Football Playoff bracket. Texas and Alabama avoided each other in the regular season, and that is arguably the standout game in the projected bracket. Meanwhile, Tennessee vs. Indiana brings together two incredible defenses and a veteran QB going toe-to-toe with a rising young passer.
College Football Playoff Bracket | Quarterfinals
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 BYU Cougars
- Peach Bowl: No. 3 Miami Hurricanes
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon Ducks
- Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs
According to reports, the existing contracts between specific conferences and bowl games are set to be honored in the College Football Playoff where possible. That means the Big Ten champion will be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the SEC champion aligned with the Sugar Bowl.
If the ACC champion earns a bye, they will play in the Peach Bowl. Similarly, if the Big 12 champion earns an automatic quarterfinal spot, they will head to the Fiesta Bowl. Our College Football Playoff bracket assumes that the highest-rated team from each conference in the initial CFP rankings wins their conference title.
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