2024 Week Six 12-team College Football Playoff rankings prediction
College football fans came into the weekend disappointed in the poor slate, but Week Six gave fans a lot of ups and downs on a thrilling day of football. Tennessee and Alabama both lost to unranked SEC opponents after coming off big wins in the game.
Tennessee football lost its first game of the season, coming off its bye week. The Vols lost 19-14 to Arkansas in a game in which the offense looked lifeless on all but a few drives.
The Vols weren't the only top-five team to get embarrassed on Saturday. Alabama, traveling to Nashville to play Vanderbilt, lost 40-35 in front of FirstBank Stadium, clad in crimson.
Both Tennessee and Alabama's losses shake up the top 12, while Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State continue to handle business in the new-look Big Ten.
The shakeup also gives us another new No. 1, with Ohio State holding the spot. This marks the fourth different team to hold the top spot in our College Football Playoff rankings prediction. The Buckeyes have dominated in back-to-back Big Ten games, with their biggest challenge, No. 5 Oregon, next on the schedule.
Here's a reminder of how the new-look Playoff will look: P4 conference champions receive automatic bids and the top four rankings. The top Group of Five champion is the fifth team to receive an automatic bid, while seeds six through 12 are all at-large bids. Seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through twelve in the first round.
Rank | Team | Why They Are Here | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Big Ten Champion | 2 (+1) |
2 | Texas Longhorns | SEC Champion | 5 (+3) |
3 | Miami Hurricanes | ACC Champion | 3 (-) |
4 | Kansas State | Big 12 Champion | 4 (-) |
5 | Oregon Ducks | At-Large | 8 (+3) |
6 | Penn State Nittany Lions | At-Large | 9 (+3) |
7 | Georgia Bulldogs | At-Large | 6 (-1) |
8 | Tennessee Volunteers | At-Large | 7 (-2) |
9 | Alabama Crimson Tide | At-Large | 1 (-9) |
10 | Clemson Tigers | At-Large | NR |
11 | Iowa State Cyclones | At-Large | NR |
12 | UNLV Rebels | MW Champion | 12 (-) |
On The Bubble
Ole Miss stays in the mix with its 27-3 win over South Carolina in Columbia. Predictions were swirling that the Gamecocks might steal another win from Ole Miss and essentially end their CFP dreams. However, they got the job done and hang in CFP contention for another week.
Notre Dame rejoins the CFP conversation. Their early-season loss to NIU is a killer to their resume, but they can win out and find their way back into the expanded Playoff with an 11-1 record.
Indiana is one of the hottest teams in the country, starting the year 5-0 and shocking the nation. The Hoosiers have Week Seven off before they continue their climb up the Big Ten rankings and look to make the CFP in year one under Curt Cignetti.
Boise State also remains on the bubble with its 62-30 win over Utah State. The Broncos' run game has been one of the best in the nation, and it has powered them to a 4-1 record, with their lone loss to Oregon being 37-34.
Battle For The Final Spot
The final spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff goes to the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, which means any team from the Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA, MAC, or American could claim the last spot.
UNLV holds the final spot after the first six weeks of the college football season, but some contenders are closing the gap between themselves and the Rebels. What teams have a chance to make their first appearance in the College Football Playoff?
Would it be a College Football Playoff without mentioning a service academy? Army has been dominant in its inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference. It started conference play 4-0 and remains undefeated after Week Six with a 5-0 record.
If it's not Army, it could be Navy. The Army-Navy Game could have major CFP implications this year, coming in December, with both teams 5-0, including the Midshipmen. Their offense has been dominant, outscoring opponents 135-73 heading into their bye week.
Liberty and Kaidon Salter continue winning football games up on The Mountain. Jamey Chadwell's squad is 4-0 and has started conference play 2-0. They haven't had any dominant blowout wins so far this year, but they have been consistently winning since the start of the year.
Tulane is the next team that could make the first 12-team CFP. They took predicted Big 12 Champion Kansas State to its limit, losing 34-27 in Manhattan, Kansas. Despite their losses to K-State and Oklahoma, they still have everything in front of them, including an AAC Championship and a spot in the CFP.
Week Seven in College Football
Week Seven could give us another weekend full of exciting football. The Red River Rivalry, Penn State-USC, Ohio State-Oregon, and Ole Miss-LSU are on deck for another weekend full of college football with potential championship implications.