The traditional regional conferences are crumbling as conference realignment sends West Coast teams to the Big Ten and ACC, while former Big 12 powerhouses head to the SEC.
While the latter move may seem less drastic from a conference perspective, it aligns with the broader transformation that includes an expanded College Football Playoff.
This expansion will open the door for more teams to compete for the national title, further altering the postseason landscape.
Josh Pate, host of Late Kick on 247Sports, frequently engages with viewers’ questions and bold predictions on his show. Recently, one particular viewer prediction sparked a lively discussion.
“We take your bold predictions here on the show and, man, this one got my attention,” Pate remarked. “A viewer claimed that none of the new Big Ten or SEC teams will make the College Football Playoff in the 2024 season. Not just that they won’t win the title – but that they won’t even make the playoff.”
Pate was struck by the audacity of this prediction, rating it as the most daring of the night. “This is a 9.75 on the 1-to-10 boldness scale. No question,” he emphasized.
The prediction encompasses a wide range of powerhouse programs. For this to happen, a group of elite teams would have to collectively miss the playoff.
“We’re talking about Texas and Oklahoma not making the playoff from the SEC,” Pate explained. “And from the Big Ten, we’re looking at Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA all missing out. Those are the six new teams.”
Pate acknowledged that it’s possible to argue that some of these teams might fall short.
“So, yeah, you could respectfully sell me on the idea that Washington doesn’t make it again or that UCLA does not make it, I got little issue with that,” Pate added.
“Oklahoma is +520 odds so they’re not necessarily right up there at the top of the leaderboard. But Texas is at -230 odds at FanDuel just to make the playoff.
“Because I’ve told you here on the show, there’s a betting market on FanDuel where you can just bet on whether teams will make or miss the playoff. Well Texas is -230 to make it and hey, Oregon is at -210 to make the playoff.
“We’re a 12-team playoff sport now,” Pate continued. “So you don’t have win your conference to make the playoff. In fact, both of those teams or the other teams mentioned only have to lose about three games each to miss the playoff.
“Is Oregon really losing three? Is Texas really losing three? Are both of them losing three in the same season? And even if they do, is Oklahoma not making a run in that situation? Is Washington not surprising someone?
“You have to have a lot of things go right for none of these six teams to make the playoff. So that one definitely gets a 9.75 from me,” Pate concluded.
What are your thoughts? … Do you think there’s any chance that all of the newcomers get shut out of the playoffs???
