After much debate and long periods of unnecessary waiting, the expanded college football playoff field is finally upon us.
The 2024 season will feature a 12-team playoff field, opening the door for several teams to have a shot at the title who may not have in past years.
Of course, the field will ultimately expand to 14-teams, but for this year, 12 will do just fine.
Interestingly, On3’s Andy Staples revealed what his 12-team playoff projection looks like…
Staples ranked the Ohio State Buckeyes as the top overall seed in his playoff bracket.
The Georgia Bulldogs, Florida State Seminoles, and Kansas State Wildcats rounded out his top four seeds.
The remaining eight teams in Staples’ field include perennial powerhouses like the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, and Texas Longhorns.
Also making the cut are the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ole Miss Rebels, Tennessee Volunteers, and Boise State Broncos.
Staples’ entire breakdown goes as follows…
#1. Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
#2. Georgia (SEC champ)
#3. Florida State (ACC champ)
#4. Kansas State (Big 12 champ)
#5. Alabama (At-large)
#6. Oregon (At-large)
#7. Texas (At-large)
#8. Michigan (At-large)
#9. Notre Dame (At-large)
#10. Ole Miss (At-large)
#11. Tennessee (At-large)
#12. Boise State (Mountain West champ)
With those being the 12 teams, the first-round matchups that Staples has would be the following…
#12 Boise State at #5 Alabama
#11 Tennessee at #6 Oregon
#10 Ole Miss at #7 Texas
#9 Notre Dame at #8 Michigan
Among these, Staples highlighted the clash between Notre Dame and Michigan as a standout showdown, citing their rich histories and legacies in the sport.
While many predict the Irish to make the playoff, opinions vary on Michigan due to how much they lost off of last year’s national title team.
With Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy and many others now gone, can new head coach Sherrone Moore lead the Wolverines back to the promised land???
The 2024 college football playoff marks a significant shift with the expansion from four to twelve teams.
Under the new format, the top four conference champions will receive byes, while teams ranked five through twelve will face off in the first round at the home field of the higher seed.
Subsequent rounds, including the quarterfinals and semifinals, will take place at neutral sites, with iconic venues like the Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl hosting the action.
The full playoff schedule goes as follows…
First round (On-Campus)
-Friday, Dec. 20, 2024: One game (evening)
-Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024: Three games (early afternoon, late afternoon and evening)
Quarterfinals
-Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
-Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)
Semifinals
-Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
-Friday, Jan. 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
CFP National Championship
-Monday, Jan. 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
What are your thoughts on Staples’ projected playoff field?
What did he get right? … What did he get wrong?
What does YOUR 12-team playoff field look like?
Most importantly, who will end up winning the national title this season???