College Football Playoff: Greg McElroy predicts 12-team field, national champion

Just two days away from Week 0 kicking off, season-long predictions are running rampant. ESPN’s Greg McElroy is just the latest, giving his 12-team College Football Playoff field plus national champion.

Maybe unsurprisingly, a lot of SEC teams populate McElroy’s Playoff field. Five make their way in, spanning from the one-seed, all the way to the final at-large bid at No. 11. For reference, the Big Ten has the next most inclusions with three.

At the end, McElroy gave out his national championship prediction, with the Big Ten facing off against the SEC. You can check out who his ultimate winner and the entire field below.

1. Georgia Bulldogs

McElroy has Georgia winning the SEC this season, good enough to earn the No. 1 overall spot. This would set up a bye in the College Football Playoff for the Bulldogs, setting up a matchup with the winner of the eight/nine-seed game.

Even with a tougher schedule, all Georgia would need to do is get to Atlanta. From there, you have to imagine Kirby Smart would be confident in getting a conference title and taking the top overall seed.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

If Georgia is 1A in the national championship discussion, Ohio State is 1B. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent, just ask former head coach Urban Meyer who believes it might be college football’s best roster in the past decade.

Ryan Day needs to come through in a big way in 2024. Delivering a Big Ten title would certainly be a great start before taking on the other 11 teams for a national championship.

3. Miami Hurricanes

Pressure is mounting on Mario Cristobal to get results in his third season in charge. The roster has been built up and there is a lot of confidence in quarterback Cam Ward.

McElroy has faith in the Hurricanes and placed them in the CFP as the ACC Champion. It would be the program’s first conference title since 2003 back in the Big East days.

4. Utah Utes

Utah won the Pac-12 in 2021 and 2022 but had no CFP appearances to show for it. Well, with Greg McElroy picking them to win the Big 12, there will be no option but to include them in 2024, even if they are the four-seed.

The Big 12 presents a conference viewed as wide open with multiple different winners envisioned. For now, Utah is viewed as the most stable of the bunch and would finally get to compete for a national championship.

5. Oregon Ducks

The best of the at-large crew, McElroy gives Oregon the nod. This would put Dan Lanning’s squad in the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State, a rematch from the Oct. 12 matchup, and falling short in Indianapolis.

Some might argue the best spot to be in the new-look 12-team CFP is the five-seed. A Group of Five opponent will come to you before facing the lowest-ranked Power Five champion. Oregon wants the Big Ten title but this would not be a bad tradeoff.

6. Texas Longhorns

Presumably losing in the SEC Championship to Georgia for McElroy is Texas, coming in at No. 6. Getting to Atlanta would be a huge success for the Longhorns in the program’s first season in the SEC.

Steve Sarkisian had his squad in the four-team CFP last season, falling short to Washington. Getting to host a game in Austin would bring a different atmosphere, though, projected to play another SEC team.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide

While ESPN co-worker Paul Finebaum has Alabama as a “fringe” CFP team, McElroy has his alma mater comfortably in the field at No. 7. Maybe no SEC Championship appearance but a shot at a national championship would still be there.

Kalen DeBoer does not want the standard to drop in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban‘s retirement. Getting into the Playoff and advancing a couple of rounds would certainly put to rest any questions.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

Many in Happy Valley like to point out how frequently Penn State would have been in the CFP if the 12-team edition had been around since 104. In the past decade, the Nittany Lions were routinely just on the outside looking in.

Expansion might benefit them more than anyone. Greg McElroy has Penn State finishing third in the Big Ten, a spot likely good enough to get into the field.

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Of the seven teams to earn an at-large spot, Notre Dame is the only one not affiliated with the Big Ten or SEC. This is seen as the year for Marcus Freeman and Co. to make some noise and potentially even advance in the CFP.

New offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock brings optimism to South Bend, pairing with quarterback Riley Leonard. The schedule algins quite nicely as well, with a 10-2 record more than manageable on paper.

10. Ole Miss Rebels

When Ole Miss got beat by Georgia last season, Lane Kiffin admitted they were not equipped to go up against college football’s top teams. He took the mentality into the NCAA transfer portal this offseason and loaded up front, specifically on the defensive line.

Will it be enough to get them into the CFP? McElroy believes so, playing them at No. 10. A familiar foe would be waiting in Tuscaloosa for them, being another edition of Kiffin vs. Alabama.

11. LSU Tigers

LSU is the fifth and final SEC to get into McElroy’s 12-team CFP field. In fact, they are the final at-large bid as Brian Kelly would continue his success in third years at different schools.

Defense is going to be the biggest question in Baton Rouge, needing a quick fix. Garrett Nussmeier replaces Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as well. Greg McElroy has spoken high on the potential of the Tigers since SEC Media Days and backs his words up by placing them in the Playoff.

12. Memphis Tigers

For the first time, a Group of Five team is guaranteed to be included in the field. We saw Cincinnati (now members of the Big 12) get into the 2021 edition with four teams but it was the outlier.

McElroy has rolled with the Memphis Tigers this season, predicting they will be the highest-ranked G5 champions out of the American. Off the backs of 10 wins last year, expectations are high in Memphis.

National championship game – Ohio State over Georgia

Who does Greg McElroy have lifting the College Football Playoff trophy in Atlanta? It’s a repeat of the 2022 Peach Bowl, played in the same building too. Then, Georgia got the job done thanks to a missed Ohio State field goal at the literal stroke of midnight.

McElroy thinks the Buckeyes wind up winning this year’s national championship, sitting atop the final college football rankings. One year after watching arch nemesis Michigan breaking their long title drought, Day responds and silences his doubters.