2024 Preseason 12-team College Football Playoff rankings prediction
The era of the 12-team College Football Playoff starts next week. It's going to totally change the postseason and the regular season too.
More games will have College Football Playoff implications than ever before. From a Michigan football perspective, the Wolverines won't need to go 12-0 or 11-1 to make the 12-team playoff. Most SEC or Big Ten teams should be able to make it with a 10-2 record.
That's definitely the case with Michigan football which plays Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State, as well as USC and Washington this season. The 18-team Big Ten and the 16-team SEC will have most of the playoff berths spoken for, but the top five conference champions get an automatic berth plus the next seven highest-ranked teams.
Georgia is ranked No. 1 according to the Coaches and AP polls but the schedule is anything but easy with Clemson, Texas, and Alabama all on the schedule in the first seven games, plus Kentucky.
The Bulldogs are loaded though and will be looking to avenge their 2023 season which didn't include an SEC championship or a national title after spending most of the season ranked No. 1.
Michigan football is the biggest X-factor in the national title race. If the Wolverines can find a quarterback, all bets are off. Alex Orji and Davis Warren are both in the mix for the job. Oregon and Ohio State are also projected to be a top-three teams but have transfers at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel and Will Howard.
Notre Dame isn't eligible to be a top-4 seed even if they make the College Football Playoff and here's our first edition of the preseason 12-team College Football Playoff rankings:
CFP Preseason Rankings
1. Georgia (SEC champ)
2. Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
3. Florida State (ACC champ)
4. Kansas State (Big 12 champ)
5. Oregon
6. Alabama
7. Michigan
8. Notre Dame
9. Texas
10. Penn State
11. Ole Miss
12. Tulane (American champion)
Analysis
I'm not sure if the Big 12 or the ACC will get a second team in. It will just depend on how things play out with the Big Ten and SEC.
Michigan football beating Texas would give the Wolverines resume a huge boost. Texas will make the playoff but I see the Horns losing multiple games this season.
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I'm projecting Oregon and Ohio State to the Big Ten title game for now. Notre Dame and Penn State also have somewhat favorable schedules which will aid their playoff efforts.