Pat McAfee predicts 12-team College Football Playoff field on ESPN College GameDay
Pat McAfee isn’t afraid to go out on a limb with his takes and predictions. The ESPN personality certainly did that with his College Football Playoff picks he made Saturday on ESPN College GameDay.
McAfee has two surprise teams in his top four in West Virginia and Virginia Tech. Of course he might be a little bit biased after playing his college football for the Mountaineers.
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Here are McAfee’s full predictions for the 2024 CFP:
5. Ole Miss vs. 12. Boise State
Pat McAfee is high on Ole Miss entering the 2024 season and has the Rebels hosting a College Football Playoff game in the first round. Ole Miss returns quarterback Jaxson Dart and has plenty of talent around him. Lane Kiffin also added some help from the transfer portal this offseason.
As for Boise State, the Broncos weren’t great last season, finishing with an 8-6 record. However, McAfee has Boise State making the CFP as the Group of 5 representative this fall.
8. Michigan vs. 9. Florida State
Pat McAfee has Michigan returning to the College Football Playoff in 2024 after winning the national championship last season. The Wolverines lost a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, as well as their head coach, but McAfee is still a believer.
He also has Florida State reaching the playoff this season after the Seminoles came up just short last year. McAfee doesn’t have FSU winning the ACC but still expects them to reach the CFP. Of course these predictions were made before the Seminoles were upset by Georgia Tech on Saturday.
6. Oregon vs. 11. Alabama
Oregon just missed out on the College Football Playoff last season after falling to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game, but Pat McAfee has the Ducks reaching the CFP in 2024. Oregon has a new-look team with Bo Nix and several other stars from last year gone, but Dan Lanning did a nice job of recruiting out of the transfer portal.
McAfee also has Alabama in the playoff in its first year under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide lost to Michigan in last year’s semifinal, which was the final game of Nick Saban’s career.
7. Texas vs. 10. Utah
Pat McAfee expects Texas to reach the College Football Playoff during its first season in the SEC after also winning the Big 12 and making the four-team playoff last year. Steve Sarkisian has done an excellent job of recruiting talent to Austin.
While a lot of experts have Utah earning a top 4 seed and winning the Big 12, McAfee has the Utes making the CFP thanks to an at-large bid. Utah gets back quarterback Cam Rising this year, which should certainly help.
1. Georgia vs. 8. Michigan/9. Florida State
Pat McAfee has the Bulldogs entering the College Football Playoff where they are starting the regular season — at No. 1. Kirby Smart’s club has lost only two games in three years and has won two of the past three national championships.
The Bulldogs are widely expects to return to the CFP in 2024 behind star quarterback Carson Beck. McAfee certainly expects exactly that to happen.
2. Ohio State vs. 7. Texas/10. Utah
Ohio State has been on the verge of winning the Big Ten title each of the past three seasons, before falling to Michigan in the last game of the year. McAfee expects the Buckeyes to finally get over the hump in 2024 and reach the CFP.
Ohio State has a roster that is arguably the best in college football and has been described as one of the best in years. If quarterback Will Howard steps up, the Buckeyes should be in contention to win the national title.
3. West Virginia vs. 6. Oregon/11. Alabama
The first big surprise in McAfee’s rankings are at No. 3 as he has West Virginia reaching the College Football Playoff out of the Big 12. WVU was a bit of a surprise last season, going 9-4, including a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
The Mountaineers return star quarterback Garrett Greene. With Oklahoma and Texas gone, perhaps WVU can sneak up and win the Big 12 this season.
4. Virginia Tech vs. 5. Ole Miss/12. Boise State
Pat McAfee has another surprise team coming out of the ACC in Virginia Tech. There is a lot of talk about Miami, Clemson and others coming into the season, but McAfee is riding with the Hokies.
VT does have a ton of starters back on both sides of the ball. That includes quarterback Kyron Drones, who was a breakout star in college football last year.
Pat McAfee has made his College Football Playoff picks, which include a few surprises. It will be fun to see how the season plays out over the next several months and which 12 teams are left standing at the end of the year.