There were plenty of shocks and close calls for the top teams in Week 2 of college football. The results have thrown up questions about several programs. However, teams have plenty of time to answer them, with ten games left for most teams.
2024 College Football Playoff Predictions after Week 2
Several results have affected how my playoff picture looks. How many teams have dropped out after Week 2? Here are my updated playoff predictions.
Rank | Team | Why are they here | Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia | SEC Champion | 1 |
2 | Ohio State | Big Ten Champion | 2 |
3 | Utah | Big 12 Champion | 3 |
4 | Miami | ACC Champion | 4 |
5 | Texas | At-large | 6 |
6 | Ole Miss | At-large | 5 |
7 | Missouri | At-large | 11 |
8 | Tennessee | At-large | N/A |
9 | Penn State | At-large | 9 |
10 | Alabama | At-large | 8 |
11 | Oregon | At-large | 10 |
12 | Northern Illinois | At-large | N/A |
Notre Dame replaced by the team who beat them
Notre Dame was the big loser in my College Football Playoff prediction. They lost to the Group of 5 team, Northern Illinois, knocking them out of the playoff picture. The Huskies' famous win moved them into the No.12 spot as the best Group of 5 team. Holding a win over the Fighting Irish, if NIU loses one game or less and wins the MAC, they should make it in.
They replaced Boise State, who lost a close game to my No.11 ranked team, Oregon. The Broncos still have a chance of competing for the best Group of 5 teams if they can win the Mountain West with few marks in the loss column.
Tennessee was the big winner, moving into the playoff picture at the No.8 spot, ahead of Penn State and Alabama, which both struggled to win against lesser teams. The Volunteers took care of the ranked team, NC State, in some style, meaning I could not put them in. They have a tough schedule, so it will be challenging to make it this season, but they have a shot.
The only other change was Ole Miss dropping to No.6 for Texas after the Longhorns entered Ann Arbour and dismantled the current National Champions. Despite the impressive win, I can put myself in a position to rank them above Georgia just yet.
There is still a long way to go this season, and when conference play begins to ramp up, expect my College Football Playoff predictions to change.