CBS Sports projects 12-team College Football Playoff field after first CFP rankings reveal
The first College Football Playoff rankings have arrived. The committee announced the first top 25 of the year Tuesday night as the four-team CFP format comes to an end after 10 years.
Starting with the 2024-25 season, the College Football Playoff will move to a 12-team model. Now that the first rankings are out, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm projected which teams would be in the field under the new format.
There’s a big difference in CBS Sports’ projection, though. Michigan came in at No. 3 in the first CFP rankings Tuesday night, but the Wolverines are outside the top four in the 12-team model. That’s because No. 1 Ohio State projected to win the conference, which would secure a bye.
No. 1. Ohio State — Bye
Ohio State has far and away the best resume of the top four teams in the first rankings. The Buckeyes have two top-15 victories under their belts — against No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 11 Penn State — which helped put them at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the year.
Because Ohio State is the favorite to win the Big Ten, it checked in as the top team in CBS Sports’ projections. The Buckeyes possess one of the best defenses in the nation this year and have perhaps the top offensive playmaker in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., which could bode well for their title hopes.
No. 2. Georgia — Bye
The two-time defending champion, Georgia fell out of the top spot Tuesday night. The Bulldogs are coming off perhaps their most complete performance of the year, against Florida, though, which prove they haven’t lost much of a step.
Even without Brock Bowers, Georgia cruised past Florida 43-20 in Jacksonville during last week’s World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party game. The Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, which creates some momentum heading into this week’s game against Missouri.
No. 3. Florida State — Bye
The heavy favorite in the ACC, Florida State has two conference games left to seal its spot in the conference title game. The Seminoles have lived up to the billing this year, with a high-powered offense led by Jordan Travis.
Florida State dominated last week against Wake Forest and continues to get strong showings from top playmakers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. Next up is a date with Pitt before the ACC finale against Miami sets up two non-conference games to close out the season.
No. 4. Washington — Bye
Washington has one of the biggest wins of the season, defeating Oregon at Huskie Stadium last month. Although the Huskies haven’t looked like their dominant selves since, they’re still favored to beat out the Ducks for the Pac-12 title and would secure a bye under the 12-team College Football Playoff format.
Michael Penix Jr. remains the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM, and leads the nation with 368.1 passing yards per game. UW will be able to make another big statement this week against USC and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams.
No. 12. Tulane at No. 5 Michigan | Winner plays Washington
Coming out of its bye week, Michigan has been by far one of the most dominant teams in the nation on both offense and defense. But questions about the Wolverines’ strength of schedule kept them at No. 3 in the first CFP rankings, and they’d play an on-campus game to start the 12-team format because they’re not the favorite to win the Big Ten.
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Under the new model, Michigan would square off against Tulane — the sixth highest-ranked conference champion which would, therefore, qualify for the CFP in a year. The Green Wave checked in at No. 24 on Tuesday and look ready to make another run in the American Athletic Conference behind Michael Pratt.
No. 11 Penn State at No. 6 Oregon | Winner plays Florida State
Oregon bounced back well from its loss to Washington, securing back-to-back victories — including a resounding 35-6 win over Utah on the road last week. The Ducks kept close with Washington until the final seconds, and could be looking at a rematch in the Pac-12 title game.
Penn State, meanwhile, lost to Ohio State two weeks ago and struggled against Indiana last week. The Nittany Lions could still play spoiler next week against Michigan, but have to prepare for a matchup against Maryland this week.
No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Texas | Winner plays Georgia
Despite losing during the Red River Rivalry last month, Texas found itself ranked ahead of Oklahoma in the first CFP rankings. The Longhorns look to be on track for a final Big 12 Championship appearance, but might still be going forward without Quinn Ewers due to injury.
If the 12-team College Football Playoff format was in place, Texas would face Ole Miss as things currently stand. The Rebels have quietly been one of the best teams in the nation, only suffering a loss to Alabama and checking in at No. 10 in the first CFP rankings.
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Alabama | Winner plays Ohio State
After falling to Texas in Week 2, Alabama has bounced back in a big way with six straight victories prior to its bye week. The Crimson Tide look like they’ve turned a corner, but will face a huge test this week as LSU comes to Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, is coming off its first loss of a year at a rain-soaked Kansas. The Sooners could’ve made a case for the top four prior to that game, but now find themselves on an uphill climb to crack the current CFP.
As the year goes on, the hypothetical 12-team College Football Playoff is going to get even more interesting with new rankings each week. It’s now easier to project what the field would look like — although it’s safe to say this would be an interesting season to expand it given all the parity.