College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday, marking a significant moment in the sport.
This year, the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee will present its inaugural top 25 rankings for the new 12-team playoff format. While these rankings are not set in stone—given that four weeks remain in the 2024 college football regular season, along with the conference championship games—they provide an early glimpse into how the committee evaluates each contender as they compete for a spot in the playoff. Before the rankings are revealed on Tuesday evening, readers can explore the CFP predictions from FOX Sports national college football analyst RJ Young:
Here’s everything fans need to know before the rankings are announced at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
When will the rankings be released?
The first CFP rankings are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Here’s the complete schedule for the CFP rankings releases:
- Tuesday, Nov. 5: 7 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 12: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 19: 7 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Nov. 26: 8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Dec. 3: 7 p.m. ET
- Sunday, Dec. 8: Noon ET
How can I watch the rankings reveal?
Fans can catch the top 25 rankings reveal each week on ESPN.
Who is a part of the CFP committee?
Committee members must step back from discussions involving their alma maters or current employers to maintain fairness in the process.
How does the committee determine the rankings?
The committee evaluates several factors to establish the top 25 teams. Key metrics include strength of schedule, head-to-head matchups, and “comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incentivizing margin of victory),” according to the CFP’s official guidelines.
Moreover, the committee takes into account “other relevant factors,” such as the absence of key players. For example, the committee cited the season-ending injury of Jordan Travis as a reason for leaving undefeated Florida State out of the four-team playoff in 2023.
How will the 12-team bracket be made?
The 12-team bracket may not consist solely of the highest-ranked teams. The top four conference champions will earn the top four seeds and receive a first-round bye. Additionally, the fifth highest-ranked conference champion will automatically qualify for the playoff, giving a Group of 5 team a chance to participate. A Group of 5 team can also secure a first-round bye if it ranks among the four highest conference champions.
The remaining seven spots in the 12-team field will be filled by at-large bids, which are awarded to the seven highest-ranked teams that do not belong to the five highest-ranked conference champions.
Some teams are ineligible for automatic berths in the College Football Playoff. Independent teams can only qualify as at-large selections. Notre Dame is the only independent team with a chance to make the playoff, but if they do, they cannot be seeded higher than fifth, even if the committee ranks them among the top four teams. Therefore, they are not eligible for a first-round bye.
Oregon State and Washington State also cannot secure automatic bids, as the Pac-12 is not among the conferences eligible for automatic playoff berths.
When does the 2024 College Football Playoff begin?
What happens after the first round?
The 12-team playoff will follow a bracket format, meaning there will be no reseeding after each round. The quarterfinal games will be integrated into the bowl games. The first quarterfinal matchup is set for Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Fiesta Bowl, followed by three others (Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, Sugar Bowl) on New Year’s Day.
The semifinals will also occur during bowl games, with the Orange Bowl hosting one semifinal on Thursday, Jan. 9, and the Cotton Bowl featuring the other semifinal a day later.
The national championship game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
What should I know about the history of the first CFP poll from each season?
- Oregon is projected to be the No. 1 team in the CFP rankings for the 2024 season. Historically, this position has not guaranteed success; only two teams have won the national championship after being ranked No. 1 in the first CFP poll: 2020 Alabama and 2021 Georgia.
- Despite this, the team ranked No. 1 in the first CFP poll has qualified for the four-team playoff in seven of the last ten seasons. Under the new 12-team format, all ten teams that held the No. 1 spot in the initial CFP poll would have made the playoff that same year.
- Ohio State in 2014 holds the record for the lowest ranking in the first CFP poll for a team that went on to win the national championship, starting at 16th before making it into the final four.
- However, Ohio State’s 2014 season stands out as an exception in the four-team era. The remaining nine national champions were all ranked in the top four of the first CFP poll during their championship seasons.
