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After two months of regular season action, the first college football playoff rankings have been released, and we now have a look at what teams the committee thinks are the top-12 teams as of this moment. 

As we enter the new 12-team format this season, there were a lot of questions on how the committee would vote on certain teams that have already endured at least two losses. It was pretty obvious that Oregon, Georgia, Miami and BYU were going to take makeup the top-4 spots, which will receive first round byes when the postseason begins. 

But, as the SEC continued to eat its own, and a number of the top teams from the conference heading into a critical Saturday slate, we now have a template for what’s to come in the eyes of the playoff committee. The Big Ten looks to be a four-team race, with Indiana being the team to shock the college football world with its current undefeated record. 

Obviously, there were questions about how many bids each conference would get, with the ACC and Big 12 being atop those recent discussions. As it stands with the new rankings, BYU would be the only team from the Big 12, with a race to the championship game heating up with schools like Iowa State, Kansas State and Colorado. 

For the ACC, the run SMU has been on this season has paid off, especially after its win over Pittsburgh this past weekend. Could there be a scenario where the Mustangs win-out, then win the conference title game over a team like Miami, but the Hurricanes still get in? Yes, and that’s obviously something to keep an eye on moving forward. 

Here’s a look at the first playoff rankings of the 2024 season. 

  • 1. Oregon
  • 2. Ohio State
  • 3. Georgia
  • 4. Miami
  • 5. Texas
  • 6. Penn State
  • 7. Tennessee
  • 8. Indiana
  • 9. BYU
  • 10. Notre Dame
  • 11. Alabama
  • 12. Boise State
  • 13. SMU
  • 14. Texas A&M
  • 15. LSU
  • 16. Ole Miss
  • 17. Iowa State
  • 18. Pittsburgh
  • 19. Kansas State
  • 20. Colorado
  • 21. Washington State
  • 22. Louisville
  • 23. Clemson
  • 24. Missouri
  • 25. Army

Which Ranking Is The Most Surprising? Outside Teams Looking In 

There is something that you should remember about tonight. The first college football playoff rankings will not be configured into seeding. The four highest-ranked conference champions will get the 1-4 seed, and receive the automatic first round bye. Then, the teams ranked 5-12 will be seeded, along with the at-large 5th conference champion. 

The College Football Playoff Top-25

The College Football Playoff Top-25 Via: ESPN-CFP

Here’s what the first round matchups would look like, with games being played on-campus. 

9. Indiana @ 8. Tennessee 

12. Boise State @ 5. Ohio State 

10. Notre Dame @ 7. Penn State 

11. Alabama @ 6. Texas

Now that we’ve got that part out of the way, here are some of my key observations from tonight’s initial rankings. 

  • I have no idea why Missouri is ranked 24th, with those losses, and that schedule
  • Colorado is sitting in a very nice spot if it was to win its remaining games
  • The SEC has spots 14-16. This is obviously an elimination weekend for Ole Miss, which can not afford to lose another game, as it plays Gerogia on Saturday
  • Indiana being ranked 8th is a nice spot to start out in. The Hoosiers will play Michigan this weekend, before heading to Columbus to play Ohio State in two weeks. They are in a great spot, even if they were to lose to the Buckeyes.
  • Penn State did not take much of a tumble following the Ohio State loss, and sits in a good spot even if it does not make the Big Ten championship.
  • The at-large 12th spot is going to be fascinating if Army can continue winning, and finish the season undefeated, with a game against Notre Dame looming.
  • I did find it interesting that Georgia is ranked 3rd, but it helps that Alabama was picked 11th.

Obviously, strength of schedule is playing a factor, so conference title games will be important. For instance, if Georgia were to lose to Texas A&M, the question would then center around how far the Bulldogs would fall. This can be considered for every P-4 championship game. 

Overall, I think the committee got this right for most spots, though there will be arguments made for teams ranked 13-20, who are all still in contention. 

Let me know what you think by emailing me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com