By Brett Daniels
The first poll of the 12-team playoff era will be released by the College Football Playoff Committee on November 5th. After eight weeks of games, we have a few teams who have played their way into the playoff discussion and a few more who have played their way out. Some conferences have multiple undefeated teams while others don’t have any. There are games with playoff implications every week until the end of the season as teams fight for one of the coveted bye weeks and others are scrapping just to get into the dance.
In the current AP Top 25 there are currently nine undefeated teams, 13 one-loss teams, and three two-loss teams. Since all conferences are not the same and all schedules are not the same, each win and each loss will have to be evaluated relative to their strength of schedule.
NOTE: The teams are slotted on where they would be seeded and not what their actual rank would be in a 1-12 format. BYU would currently be the 4th seed based on being the Big 12 Champion but would most likely be ranked in the 8-10 range.
College Football Playoff Field 10/23
1. Oregon Ducks (7-0)
The Ducks have two good wins this season over then #2 Ohio State and Boise State, who’s now ranked #17. Both games went down to the wire with the Ducks winning on the last play of the game each time.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)
Georgia has the best two wins of any team in the country with double-digit victories over Clemson and Texas. The loss to Alabama on the road is forgivable if the Crimson Tide continue to win.
More Sports News
3. Miami Hurricanes (7-0)
Miami has been impressive offensively and Cam Ward is a Heisman contender, but the Hurricanes have needed some luck and arguably some help from the officials to stay undefeated.
Heisman Odds Through Week 8 👀 pic.twitter.com/ub3w4sfPVa
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 22, 2024
4. BYU Cougars (7-0)
The Cougars currently lead the Big 12 and have wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma State to their credit. BYU and Iowa State do not meet in the regular season so both could potentially finish undefeated before meeting in the conference championship.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0)
The Nittany Lions have solid wins over Illinois and USC to their credit along with playing suffocating defense. An upcoming game against Ohio State on November 2nd will prove if Penn State has taken that next step.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)
Ohio State doesn’t have a “signature” win so far this season and the close loss to Oregon is the only bullet point on their resume. The game against Penn State in two weeks will be huge for the resume, or it could kick OSU out of the playoffs entirely.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (6-1)
The Vols have been doing it with defense so far this season and currently control their own destiny to reach the SEC Championship Game.
8. LSU Tigers (6-1)
Losing your first game of the season three years in a row is not the way to start a march toward the playoffs but just as they have the last two seasons, LSU has righted the ship and can play their way into the field of 12 if they keep winning.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1)
The loss to Northern Illinois was atrocious, but it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that the Irish have wins over Texas A&M and beat a Louisville team much more soundly than Miami did last week.
10. Texas A&M Aggies (6-1)
The Aggies are currently leading the SEC at 4-0 in conference play and have a solid victory over a top 25 ranked Missouri team. The one loss to Notre Dame is forgivable given how well the Irish have played overall this season.
PracticeB&W.mp4#GigEm pic.twitter.com/Y8iGRpvs4x
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) October 22, 2024
11. Texas Longhorns (6-1)
Do the Longhorns have the #1 ranked defense in the country? Yes. Is their only loss to the #2 ranked Georgia team? Yes. Have the Longhorns beaten anyone of note this season? No.
12. Boise State Broncos (5-1)
The Broncos are the highest-ranked Group of 5 team in the AP and Coaches Polls. They currently do not have a ranked opponent on their remaining schedule (although UNLV is receiving votes) and a game against Oregon State is the only non-G5 opponent remaining. They do get credit for a three-point loss at #1 ranked Oregon in Week 2.
First Four Out
1. Clemson Tigers (6-1)
The Tigers currently have no wins against a ranked opponent and won’t face one until Pitt in Week 10. Their best bet to make the field is to win the ACC Championship.
2. Iowa State Cyclones (7-0)
Currently ranked inside the Top 10 of both the AP and Coaches Polls, the Cyclones will not face a ranked opponent until the final week of the season in Kansas State.
3. Indiana Hoosiers (7-0)
The Hoosiers are undefeated but haven’t exactly faced a murders row of opponents so far this season. A big game against Ohio State in the penultimate week of the season will determine if Indiana has enough of a resume to make the top 12.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2)
The Tide have a win against #2 Georgia on their resume. but haven’t looked like their championship teams of the past with losses against Vanderbilt and Tennessee and a less-than-convincing win against South Carolina.
These rankings will certainly change as games are played and teams that are currently in could find themselves out with a loss or two and vice versa. There are five teams from the SEC, three from the Big 10, one from the ACC and Big 12, Group of 5, and the independents.
Of the teams from the SEC, Georgia plays Tennessee, Texas A&M plays LSU and Texas while LSU will also face Alabama. The Big 10 will see Ohio State face Penn State and Indiana. In the ACC, Miami and Clemson will not meet until the ACC Championship Game with the Big 12 in a similar situation with BYU and Iowa State.
