CBS Sports releases 12-team College Football Playoff predictions, full preseason bowl projections for 2024
The 2024 college football season is fast approaching, and the 12-team College Football Playoff is set to make it like none we’ve seen before. And it means dozens of teams will be vying for CFP slots.
With Week 0 almost two weeks away, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm projected the 12-team CFP field and the rest of the bowl game matchups. And there are plenty of interesting picks and mouth-watering first round host sites, plus some worthwhile bowl matchups to peruse.
Check out the full projections below.
No. 1 seed: Georgia
Roundly viewed as one of, if not the top team in college football entering the season, Georgia is expected to lock down the No. 1 overall seed. This means not only being one of the best teams in the country, but also winning the SEC championship game to earn the automatic bye.
But the Bulldogs are certainly capable, from quarterback Carson Beck on down. Their biggest challenge along the way will likely be the gauntlet that is an SEC schedule in the 16-team league.
No. 2 seed: Ohio State
Few teams did more to push their chips to the middle of the table this offseason than the Buckeyes. And with head coach Ryan Day naming Will Howard the starting quarterback on Aug. 15, the pieces seem to be falling into place as intended.
The Buckeyes certainly have some challenging matchups to win in order to win a Big Ten title for the first time since 2020, but the talent is more than enough for it to happen. And the Buckeyes could likely be a candidate for the No. 1 overall seed.
No. 3 seed: Utah
Someone has to win the Big 12, and that team is more than likely to get a Top 4 seed and therefore a bye in the 12-team CFP. In this scenario, that’s Utah.
History would indicate any team is unlikely to win a league during its first season in it, but the Utes enter the new-look Big 12 as one of the clear favorites. There are a few teams in the league that could certainly usurp the Utes for the top spot, though.
No. 4 seed: Florida State
Even ignoring the irony of Florida State securing a Top 4 seed in 2024 after what happened to end the 2023 season, a conference championship and a bye in the CFP would be a welcome reward for Mike Norvell and Co. Plus, it’d be a good benchmark that the 2023 team wasn’t a one-off.
And in the ACC, it’s unclear that Florida State has any real challenges past the likes of Clemson and Miami. Survive those two games, and a CFP berth should be in the cards for the Seminoles.
First round matchup: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas
A playoff game at Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium would certainly be a worthwhile consolation prize for the Longhorns if they can’t win the SEC in Year 1 in the league. Plus, hosting the No. 12 seed is as good a path as any to making the quarterfinals.
Boise State makes the field as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, with a chance to do to Texas what it once famously did to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. And the winner of this game is slated to face the Seminoles.
First round matchup: No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 Oregon
The iconic settings don’t stop in this version of the CFP, with Kansas State leaving Manhattan to head to Eugene. This scenario also means Oregon managed to finish just behind Ohio State in the Ducks’ inaugural Big Ten season.
The Wildcats being a second Big 12 team in the field is also notable, as many expect the SEC and Big Ten to absorb potentially all of the at-large bids. The winner of this game faces Utah.
First round matchup: No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Alabama
Darrel K. Royal, Autzen and now Bryant-Denny Stadium? This projected playoff has first round games in a number of college football’s best settings. And the Crimson Tide would surely pack a raucous crowd in to watch Kalen DeBoer lead his first team into the postseason.
And like the Big 12, the ACC also managed two teams in the field in this exercise. The winner of this game faces Ohio State.
First round matchup: No. 9 Penn State at No. 8 Texas A&M
Two programs that have struggled with glass ceilings of sorts finally breakthrough — and then get to face each other. And like the prior three first round games, Kyle Field would be a wonderful locale for a playoff game.
It also means three of the four first round games would be hosted by SEC teams. The winner of this game would be set to face Georgia.
The rest of CBS Sports’ predicted bowl matchups
Camellia Bowl, Dec. 14: Troy vs. Northern Illinois
Frisco Bowl, Dec. 17: Arkansas State vs. Western Michigan
Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 18: UConn vs. Tulane
Los Angeles Bowl, Dec. 18: Fresno State vs. Cal
New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 19: Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana
Cure Bowl, Dec. 20: FAU vs. Coastal Carolina
Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 20: Appalachian State vs. Wake Forest
Myrtle Beach Bowl, Dec. 23: Liberty vs. James Madison
Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 23: Miami (OH) vs. Colorado State
Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24: Wyoming vs. Jacksonville State
Detroit Bowl, Dec. 26: Maryland vs. Ohio
Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Dec. 26: Texas Tech vs. Northwestern
68 Ventures Bowl, Dec. 26: Rice vs. Marshall
Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 27: UTSA vs. West Virginia
Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 27: USF vs. Boston College
Liberty Bowl, Dec. 27: TCU vs. Auburn
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 27: Kentucky vs. Arizona
Fenway Bowl, Dec. 28: Louisville vs. East Carolina
Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 28: NC State vs. Wisconsin
New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 28: UNLV vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl, Dec. 28: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State
Arizona Bowl, Dec. 28: Air Force vs. Toledo
Military Bowl, Dec. 28: North Carolina vs. Memphis
Alamo Bowl, Dec. 28: Kansas vs. USC
Independence Bowl, Dec. 28: UCF vs. Oregon State
Music City Bowl, Dec. 30: Nebraska vs. LSU
ReliaQuest Bowl, Dec. 31: Iowa vs. Missouri
Sun Bowl, Dec. 31: SMU vs. Washington State
Citrus Bowl, Dec. 31: Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Texas Bowl, Dec. 31: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma
Gator Bowl, Jan. 2: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
First Responder Bowl, Jan. 3: Army vs. South Alabama
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Jan. 3: Clemson vs. Rutgers
Bahamas Bowl, Jan. 4: FIU vs. Bowling Green
Holiday Bowl, TBA: Pittsburgh vs. Washington
With fall camps rolling along and the games yet to be played, it’s a safe bet that plenty of these projections will be altered well before bowl season.