It's getting tense as the race for a College Football Playoff spot intensifies heading into the final weeks of the regular season. The pressure is starting to separate the best from the rest as several teams battled for vital victories in Week 10.
2024 College Football Playoff Predictions after Week 10
There were two critical losses for teams in my top 12, meaning they slipped out of the picture, while one team stayed in despite losing. Here are my latest 12-team College Football Playoff predictions.
Rank | Team | Why they are here | Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ohio State | Big Ten Champion | 1 |
2 | Georgia | SEC Champion | 2 |
3 | Miami | ACC Champion | 3 |
4 | BYU | Big 12 Champion | 9 |
5 | Oregon | At-large | 5 |
6 | Texas | At-large | 6 |
7 | Penn State | At-large | 7 |
8 | Tennessee | At-large | 8 |
9 | Indiana | At-large | N/A |
10 | Notre Dame | At-large | 11 |
11 | Alabama | At-large | N/A |
12 | Boise State | Mountain West Champion | 12 |
Penn State and others hanging on to their CFP top 12 position
eams have three to four games left in the regular season, knowing that one loss could end all hopes of a playoff spot. Penn State lost over the weekend; luckily, it was against top-five-ranked Ohio State. It was their first season loss, and the team had chances to win, meaning head coach James Franklin continues to fall in the big games. One more loss from their last four games and the Nittany Lions have a high chance of missing out.
The other two teams to lose from my Week 9 predicted playoff teams tumbled out. Iowa State, who looked like a potential Big 12 champion, lost to Texas Tech. However, they can still win and go to the Big 12 Championship game, so hope is not lost. Texas A&M is also in a similar boat; South Carolina crushed them at the weekend but can win out and still make it in, but they play Texas on rivalry weekend.
The two teams that benefited from the losses were Alabama and Indiana. The Hoosiers stayed unbeaten, but challenging games are to come. Michigan is at home, then Ohio State is on the road, finishing with Purdue. They should make the playoffs, maybe a Big Ten Championship game, if they win two. Alabama benefited while being on a bye week. However, they have a must-win game against LSU in Week 11; otherwise, goodbye playoffs.
Boise State continued to be the best Group of 5 teams, beating San Diego State 56-24. As long as Heisman contending running back Ashton Jeanty stays healthy, they will take some overhauling for the guaranteed spot for a Group of 5 team.
The race for 12 playoff spots is so open, with Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU, and Iowa State still alive and sitting just outside the top 12. There are four more weeks left to decide who will compete in the first 12-team College Football Playoffs.