No. 1 Oregon remains atop CFP rankings, rest of playoff picture sees shake up

Published 5:12 pm Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Make it three consecutive weeks atop the College Football Playoff rankings for Oregon as the Ducks held their No. 1 spot in the latest rankings release Tuesday, Nov. 19. 

Oregon clinched itself a spot in the Big Ten Championship game Tuesday as well, escaping Camp Randall Stadium with a narrow 16-13 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. The Ducks now sit at 11-0 on the year and are one win away from an undefeated regular season, matching the 2010 team who did the same. 

For those who may have missed the rankings over the past two weeks, 2024 marks the first season of the 12-team playoff after a decade of a four-team structure. The model accounts for five automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large selections. While Oregon doesn’t budge from its spot at the top, several changes occurred in the projected playoff field.

If the season ended today, the following is how the playoff would look. 

Oregon, Texas, Miami and Boise State would all receive first-round byes as the four highest-ranked conference champions. Boise State is the only new addition to the list. The week two release had the Broncos as the fifth auto-bid and playing a first round matchup on the road at Ohio State, with BYU in the No. 4 seed. Following BYU’s 17-13 loss to Kansas, the Cougars fell from No. 6 in the rankings to No. 14, making the projected Big 12 champion the fifth automatic bid. 

Ohio State slots into the No. 5 seed while holding the No. 2 spot in the rankings. The Buckeyes would host No. 14 BYU, who takes the No. 12 seed as the fifth auto-bid, for a first round playoff game at Ohio Stadium. The winner would advance to play No. 4 Boise State. 

Penn State holds the No. 6 seed as the No. 4 team in the rankings. The Nittany Lions would host Georgia, ranked No. 10 and claiming the No. 11 seed. The game would take place at Beaver Stadium and the winner would advance to play No. 3 Miami. 

Indiana sits at No. 5 in the rankings and seeded at No. 7. Memorial Stadium would play host to Ole Miss, ranked No. 9 in the poll and hold the No. 10 seed. The winner between the Rebels and Hoosiers would advance to play No. 2 Texas. 

Notre Dame takes the No. 8 seed, ranked No. 6 in the country. The Fighting Irish would host Alabama, who take the No. 9 seed and No. 7 spot in the rankings. The winner would advance to play No. 1 Oregon. 

Tennessee is the only team currently ranked within the top 12 that would not appear in the playoff, with No. 14 BYU getting in as an auto-bid. 

Projected playoff field

No. 1 Oregon, bye

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Notre Dame

No. 4 Boise State, bye

No. 12 BYU at No. 5 Ohio State

No. 3 Miami, bye

No. 11 Georgia at No. 6 Penn State

No. 2 Texas, bye

No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Indiana

Complete College Football Top 25 

1. Oregon (11-0) 

2. Ohio State (9-1) 

3. Texas (9-1) 

4. Penn State (9-1) 

5. Indiana (9-1) 

6. Notre Dame (9-1) 

7. Alabama (8-2) 

8. Miami (9-1) 

9. Ole Miss (8-2) 

10. Georgia (8-2) 

11. Tennessee (8-2) 

12. Boise State (9-1) 

13. SMU (9-1) 

14. BYU (9-1) 

15. Texas A&M (8-2) 

16. Colorado (8-2) 

17. Clemson (8-2) 

18. South Carolina (7-3) 

19. Army (9-0) 

20. Tulane (9-2) 

21. Arizona State (9-2) 

22. Iowa State (8-2) 

23. Missouri (7-3) 

24. UNLV (8-2) 

25. Illinois (7-3)