How the New College Football Playoff Looks Using Preseason AP Poll

What would the College Football Playoff look like based on the 2024 preseason AP Top 25?

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; A detail view of the National Championship Trophy after the Michigan Wolverines won 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game against the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

That thing you smell is college football being in the air.

We're under two weeks from Florida State taking on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland and under three weeks until the first full weekend of games, which includes Notre Dame traveling to Texas A&M.

A step towards the return of college football season comes when the preseason polls are officially released. That came Monday as the preseason AP Poll was released ahead of the season.

2024 is the first year of the newly expanded College Football Playoff as it will feature 12 teams instead of the four it had for the last 10 years.

So what would this new College Football Playoff bracket look like it you took the preseason AP Poll and applied it?

The Seeds:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Florida State
4. Utah
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. Alabama
8. Ole Miss
9. Notre Dame
10. Penn State
11. Michigan
12. Boise State

The first four seeds get a first-round bye as they are all winners of the Power Four conferences. No. 5 through 11 go to the highest ranked Group of Four teams to not win a conference while No. 12 goes to the highest rated Group of Five team.

College Football Playoff - First Round Matchups

Dec 16, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James (20) is knocked out of bounds by Boise Broncos linebacker Tyson Maeva (58) during the second half of the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The first-round matchups we would be left will would certainly be compelling, all taking place on the higher-seeds home field. They would be:

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Michigan
No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 Penn State
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Notre Dame

Two games feature pairs of bluebloods squaring off while Ole Miss and Notre Dame would certainly captivate the national audience. Oregon and Boise State used to play regularly and this would be the biggest meeting ever between the two, but I struggle to imagine this one being much of a contest.

College Football Playoff - Second Round Matchups

Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Utah vs. Oregon/Boise State winner
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. Ole Miss/Notre Dame winner
Peach Bowl: No. 3 Florida State vs. Texas/Michigan winner
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. Alabama/Penn State winner

College Football Playoff - Semifinals and National Championship

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Orange Bowl mascot dances with the Alabama Crimson Tide cheerleaders after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

This year the two national semi-finals will be played at the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl on January 9 and 10.

The national championship is set to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 25.