College Football 2024 Playoff Predictions: Predicting the Bracket

Predicting the College Football Playoff in 2024 will not be easy, given how much can happen between now and December. But here is the full 12-team CFP bracket prediction. 

The expansion from a four-team to a 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024 represents a significant change, even more impactful than the shift from the Bowl Championship Series to the four-team playoff. This new format will keep more games relevant throughout the season, give more teams a chance to compete late in the year and maintain heightened interest among fans.

The broader playoff field is expected to enhance the excitement and stakes in college football, making each week more crucial for teams vying for a playoff spot.

The new 12-team College Football Playoff format will include the five highest-ranked conference champions, who will receive automatic bids. The seven remaining spots will go to the highest-ranked teams that didn’t win a conference.

The top four teams in the rankings will earn a first-round bye, advancing directly to the quarterfinals. This structure ensures that conference success and overall performance throughout the season are crucial for securing a spot in the playoffs.

So, who are our top-ranked conference champion picks?

Top 4 Seeds to Earn Byes

No. 1 Seed – Georgia Bulldogs – SEC Champions

No. 2 Seed – Ohio State Buckeyes – Big Ten Champions

No. 3 Seed – Utah Utes – Big 12 Champions

No. 4 Seed – Miami Hurricanes – ACC Champions

Georgia wins the SEC, Ohio State overpowers Oregon to win the Big Ten, Utah beats Kansas State to win the Big 12, and Miami beats NC State to win the ACC, setting up the top four seeds in the college football playoff.

First Round Byes (Seeds 5-8)

No. 5 Seed – Oregon Ducks – At-Large Bid (Big Ten)

No. 6 Seed – Texas Longhorns – At-Large Bid (SEC)

No. 7 Seed – Notre Dame Fighting Irish – At-Large Bid (Independent) 

No. 8 Seed – Ole Miss Runnin’ Rebels – At-Large (SEC)

Oregon is the highest seed not to receive a bye. Texas is the No. 6 seed and the second-highest-ranked SEC squad. Notre Dame gets in as the No.7 seed and the only independent to make the 12-team field. Ole Miss is the third-highest-ranked SEC team and will host a first-round game in Oxford.

Seeds 9-12

No. 9 Seed – Alabama Crimson Tide – At-Large (SEC)

No. 10 Seed – Penn State Nittany Lions – At-Large (Big Ten)

No. 11 Seed – Kansas State – At-Large (Big 12)

No. 12 Seed – Liberty Flames – (C-USA Champions – Group of 5)

First Round Matchups

No. 9 Alabama @ No. 8 Ole Miss

No 12 Liberty @ No. 9 Oregon

No 10. Penn State @ No. 7 Notre Dame

No. 6 Texas @ No. 11 Kansas State

The first round sets up an all-SEC matchup and the top left corner of the bracket with Ole Miss, Alabama, and Georgia. The lone Group of 5 school, undefeated Liberty, heads to Eugene to take on the Big Ten runner-up. Penn State heads to South Bend to take on the Irish in a matchup of traditional college football bluebloods. In their first year in the SEC, Texas hosts their first CFP against an old Big 12 foe in Kansas State.

Quarterfinal Matchups

No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No.1 Georgia

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Miami

No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State

No. 6 Texas vs. No. 3 Utah

After getting past Alabama at home, Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin head to Sanford Stadium to take on the No. 1 ranked Dawgs. After knocking off Liberty in their opening-round matchup at home, Oregon squares off against ACC champion Miami. The Nittany Lions get the only road victory in the first round at Notre Dame to set up a matchup against Big Ten rival Ohio State. Texas survives Kansas State at home to set up a matchup with Big 12 champion Utah.

Semifinal Matchups

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Georgia

No. 6 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Oregon looks to win their third straight win in the CFP against the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Texas is also eyeing their third straight CFP victory as they square off against the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

National Championship Game

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas

Oregon and Texas pull off a semifinal upset over the two top-ranked teams in the country to set up a CFP national title game between the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds. Quinn Ewers leads the Longhorns, and Dillon Gabriel leads the Ducks in the first-ever CFP national championship.