CBS Sports Analyst Puts Utah at No. 4 in 2024 Playoff Prediction

CBS sports analyst Bryant McFadden has the Utes at No. 4 in his way-too-early playoff ranking, the initial ranking has the Utes as the only Big 12 team in 2024's CFP

The college football offseason has officially begun. As Michigan hoisted its 2023 National Championship trophy, a new era of college football has been ushered in, as the sport will see significant changes in 2024.

Among the most impactful is a complete overhaul of the College Football Playoff. At last, the four-team playoff era of college football will end and be replaced by a reworked 12-team format.

Regarding this new playoff format, some analysts are getting a head start making early predictions of teams who might make the 12-team playoff in its inaugural season.

One of these college football pundits, Bryant McFadden of CBS Sports, has Utah as the fourth seed in his "way-too-early" 2024 College Football Playoff field.

As the fourth seed in this proposed field of teams, Utah would earn a first-round bye for winning the 2024 Big-12 Championship. Moreover, Utah is the only 2024 Big 12 team apart of McFadden's initial playoff prediction. 

According to the “6-6 format” used for McFadden predictions, the six highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids, while the four highest-ranked teams in the nation each receive a quarterfinal bye. After the conference champions, the six highest-ranked teams round out the 12-team format.

In a breakdown of his way-too-early CFP field on CBS, McFadden praised the leadership of Cam Rising, who will be back and healthy for Utah in its first Big 12 season.

Additionally, McFadden noted that the Big 12 might be “wide-open” in 2024, giving Utah, whose 8-5 season in 2023 was considered a down year, a great chance to come out on top.

McFadden’s CBS Sports colleague, Barrett Sallee, had a slightly different perception of Utah in his edition of the way-too-early 2024 CFP ranking.

This is my way-too-early 2024 College Football Playoff field. Remember, under the current 6-6 format (which will change), the top 6 conference champs will get in -- four of which will occupy the top four spots.https://t.co/HF4Z8cMFYZ pic.twitter.com/jcm7x3BZXa

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) January 9, 2024

Notably, Sallee had Utah at nine and Oklahoma State at four, which means the Oklahoma State Cowboys would be the 2024 Big 12 champions over Utah.

Regardless of the outcome, it's exciting to see the Utes in both way-too-early rankings.

After a down year filled with injuries, Utah should comeback with a vengeance in 2024. Furthermore, with Utah and Arizona replacing Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12, the conference is primed for the Utes to win it all.