12-team College Football Playoff rankings prediction: Welcome to the SEC, Texas
Week 8 of the 2024 college football season was set to be a big one, especially within the SEC, in terms of impacting the race to the College Football Playoff. Sure enough, we saw some monumental results that will have ramifications all the way into the postseason. So how does that impact the projected playoff field?
2024 College Football Playoff predictions after Week 8
After Week 8's action, the SEC has seen a lot of shuffling, and a new team from the Big Ten is getting the recognition they deserve. Here's the latest playoff projections...
Rank | Team | Why They Are Here | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Oregon | Big Ten Champion | 1. |
2. | Georgia | SEC Champion | 6. |
3. | Miami | ACC Champion | 3. |
4. | BYU | Big 12 Champion | 4. |
5. | Penn State | At-Large | 5. |
6. | Texas | At-Large | 2. |
7. | Ohio State | At-Large | 7. |
8. | Clemson | At-Large | 8. |
9. | Indiana | At-Large | NR |
10. | Iowa State | At-Large | 10. |
11. | LSU | At-Large | 11. |
12. | Boise State | Highest Ranked G5 Champion | 12. |
Dropped Out - Alabama (previously 9th)
Georgia welcomes Texas to the SEC, Alabama is in trouble, and it's time to respect Indiana football
Since the start of the season, no team had looked more consistently dominant than Texas. The Longhorns looked to be clearly ahead of every other team in the SEC in their very first year in the conference. Meanwhile the SEC's presumed Top Dawg (pun intended), Georgia, was looking incredibly suspect.
That flipped on Saturday when the Bulldogs went into Austin and dominated Texas, leading by as much as 23-0 before coming away with a 30-15 victory. The Horns were hapless against the Georgia defense, and UGA showed why they still belong atop the SEC this season. The Dawgs jump up to #2 in the rankings with undefeated Oregon holding the #1 spot.
Elsewhere in the SEC, it's officially time to panic in Tuscaloosa. Since leading UGA 30-0 in the first half three weeks ago, Alabama has looked about as mediocre as anyone else. Now with two losses on the season following an ugly game at Tennessee, they have to fall out of the playoff field. The win over UGA has aged well and in all likelihood will continue to. But unless the Tide win out, they won't be competing for a title, and it's going to take some time before they can earn their way back into my projections.
So who steps into their place? How about the 7-0 Indiana Hoosiers. Yes, that's right. Indiana, who went 3-9 last year, hasn't had a winning season since 2020, has a first-year head coach, and is just generally bottom-dweller in college football, is undefeated. And they're destroying everyone in their path. They've not been tested yet, but a 56-7 win over a solid Nebraska team speaks volumes. This team is good, and they deserve recognition. I've got IU at #9, and looking at their schedule, they could absolutely keep this going. And that would be great for the sport.
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