The 2024 college football season is officially upon as as No. 5 Florida State takes on Georgia Tech and No. 24 SMU faces Nevada this coming Saturday. For the next four months we’re going to get college football just about every single week, culminating in the College Football Playoff.
But as always there’s one burning question about the CFP: Who’s in?
We have a new format this season with the tournament being expanded from four teams to a whopping 12 teams. Five conference champions plus seven at-large bids will vie for the opportunity to win the national title this year.
As for the teams that will actually be in it this year, ESPN Senior Writer Heather Dinich made an official prediction for the network as to who will be heading to the College Football Playoff.
Securing first round byes will be Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State and Utah. The remaining eight are Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Alabama, Miami (FL), Penn State and Boise State.
Here’s the full breakdown of the byes and first-round games:
First Round Byes:
- 1 Georgia
- 2 Ohio State
- 3 Florida State
- 4 Utah
First Round Games:
- 5 Texas vs. 12 Boise State
- 6 Oregon vs. 11 Penn State
- 7 Notre Dame vs. 10 Miami
- 8 Ole Miss vs. 9 Alabama
As for the conference breakdown, we have four SEC teams, three Big Ten teams, two ACC teams, one Mountain West team, one Big 12 team and one independent.
Conspicuously absent are the Michigan Wolverines, who despite going 15-0 and winning the national title just seven months ago, have people very nervous about how they’ll look now that both head coach Jim Harbaugh and star quarterback J.J. McCarthy are off to the NFL.
Who do you think will reach the College Football Playoff?
Related: ‘Formula’ Predicts The 12-Team College Football Playoff In 2024