Predicting the final College Football Playoff bracket for 2024

Coming off an eventful Championship Saturday, let's predict what the final College Football Playoff rankings and bracket will look like for the 2024 postseason.

What the final College Football Playoff bracket could look like after an eventful Championship Saturday. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Championship Saturday saved the best for last, as an exciting ACC Championship Game put a bow on the final weekend of college football before the selection committee is set to reveal its final top 25 rankings and official bracket for the first-ever 12-team playoff.

SMU stormed back to tie things up against Clemson and it appeared that overtime was forthcoming, but the Tigers got into position to kick a game-winning field goal that had an enormous impact on what the College Football Playoff will eventually look like on Selection Sunday.

What will the final College Football Playoff bracket be when the committee makes it all official?

College Football Playoff bracket prediction for 2024

1. Oregon. The consensus No. 1 team in college football, and the last undefeated squad in FBS, clinches the top seed in the bracket, but the Ducks needed everything they had to hold off Penn State to win the Big Ten championship.

2. Georgia. A signature upset against Texas in the SEC Championship Game allows the Bulldogs a chance to jump into the Longhorns’ former No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, but there are questions around the health of quarterback Carson Beck.

3. Boise State. The favorite in the Group of Five in the committee room from the start, the Broncos won the Mountain West title behind some historic play from tailback Ashton Jeanty, and should be able to rest in the first round.

4. Arizona State. A dominant win in the Big 12 Championship Game over Iowa State combined with SMU’s loss to Clemson in the ACC title bout paved the way for the Sun Devils to finally earn that first-round bye, which was in some doubt most of the day.

5. Notre Dame. The loss by Penn State should be enough for the committee to jump the Fighting Irish over the Big Ten runner-up and preserve a home game in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

6. Texas. Earlier in the day, we speculated Penn State would take this position, but it feels more likely that the selectors will value the SEC runner-up more so than the Big Ten equivalent, especially given how close the Longhorns played Georgia.

7. Ohio State. Although the Buckeyes made things a little more confusing with the loss to Michigan, they’re still in good position with wins over two highly-ranked teams and a one-point loss to the Big Ten champion Ducks, probably enough to host a first-round game.

8. Penn State. It looked like it would be ugly against Oregon early on in the Big Ten title game, and while the Nittany Lions played their way back into it, they couldn’t do enough to mount the comeback. We project they’ll host a first-round game, but should finish behind the Ohio State team they lost to.

9. Tennessee. There’s a chance that the Vols and Penn State switch spots here given how the arguments inside the committee room go, but either way Big Orange should be on the road in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

10. Indiana. The one-loss Hoosiers may not have had as strong a schedule as some SEC teams on the bubble, but they still boast a one-loss record and one of college football’s most potent offenses, which they’ll test in a likely road game in the first round.

11. SMU. So long, Alabama. Until Saturday night, it appeared the Crimson Tide would get the final spot, but with how closely the Mustangs played against Clemson, driving 79 yards to tie the game near the end of regulation, that should ideally be enough to stay within the top dozen, albeit in a lower position given the loss.

12. Clemson. Kicking a field goal as time ran out, the Tigers held off SMU’s comeback bid to win the ACC Championship Game, thus securing a guaranteed place in the College Football Playoff, but with three losses and other teams winning, there’s no shot at a first-round bye.

Who goes where?

No. 12 Clemson at
No. 5 Notre Dame

Winner plays No. 4 Arizona State

No. 11 SMU at
No. 6 Texas
Winner plays No. 3 Boise State

No. 10 Indiana at
No. 7 Ohio State

Winner plays No. 2 Georgia

No. 9 Tennessee at
No. 8 Penn State

Winner plays No. 1 Oregon

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