The College Football Playoff race took an exciting turn in Week 11, with upsets and thrilling finishes reshaping the landscape.
With two teams from the initial College Football Playoff Top 4 suffering losses — Miami and Georgia — the race to make the 12-team field is even deeper now with a plethora of teams clamoring for the at-large spots in the final weeks or the regular season.
Oregon, Indiana, BYU and Army remain the only unbeaten teams in college football, however, the Hoosiers, Cougars, and Knights all had close calls this past weekend. Indiana held on to beat Michigan 20-15, BYU rallied for a thrilling 22-21 victory over rival Utah on the road, and Army extended its nation’s-best 13-game winning streak in a 14-3 victory over North Texas.
As the College Football Playoff committee prepares to release its updated rankings on Tuesday, fans are eager to see how the top 25 teams will be reshuffled. Heading into these rankings, we already have a good sense of how the CFP committee views each team.
Knowing that, here’s my predictions of where I believe the top 25 teams will land based on the playoff committee’s random criteria, including a look at each of the Big 12 teams.
With that, here’s a look at the CFP predictions:
2024 College Football Playoff Ranking Predictions (Week 12)
1. Oregon (10-0)
2. Ohio State (8-1)
3. Texas (8-1) +2
4. Tennessee (8-1) +3
5. Penn State (8-1) +1
6. Indiana (10-0) +2
7. BYU (9-0) +2
8. Alabama (7-2) +3
9. Notre Dame (8-1) +1
10. Miami Hurricanes (9-1) -6
11. Ole Miss Rebels (8-2) +5
12. Georgia (7-2) -7
13. Boise State Broncos (8-1) -1
14. SMU Mustangs (8-1) -1
15. Texas A&M Aggies (7-2) -1
16. Colorado Buffaloes (7-2) +4
17. Kansas State Wildcats (7-2) +2
18. Washington State (8-1) +3
19. Louisville Cardinals (6-3) +3
20. LSU Tigers (6-3) -5
21. Clemson Tigers (7-2) +2
22. Missouri Tigers (7-2) +2
23. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3) (Previously unranked)
24. Army Black Knights (9-0) +1
25. Pitt Panthers (7-2) -7
BYU
The Cougars were disrespected in the first College Football Playoff rankings and the media certainly made that known. With several teams in front of the Cougars losing, I expect BYU to move up two spots. Although the Cougars have a stronger resume than Indiana — its not even close — I would be shocked if the committee has BYU ahead of Indiana. They should, but I don’t see it happening.
The good news is that while BYU will certainly move up, Boise State will likely stay flat, or drop a spot due to the SEC teams. This is great for the Big 12 to ensure the conference champion gets the automatic bye, because if the Broncos are ahead of the Big 12 champion, Boise State will take that automatic bye.
Holy War: Why I Painted A BYU-Utah Football Field In My Backyard
Colorado
With Big Noon Kickoff in town and playing on the road against Teas Tech, the Buffs used the opportunity to make a statement with a 41-27 victory. The national media are certainly doing their part to push Colorado up which is great for the Big 12 conference. Big Noon Kickoff is coming to Colorado this week which will keep the attention on the program.
With LSU, Iowa State, and Pittsburgh all losing, the Buffs will likely move up four spots, one spot above fellow Big 12 member Kansas State.
Kansas State
The Wildcats were off last week, so while they’ll move up thanks to the losses to LSU, Iowa State, and Pittsburgh, I do expect them to only move up two spots since Colorado will likely jump ahead. While Kansas State won the head-to-head matchup with the Buffs, the recent loss to Houston will likely nullify that. The good news is that the Wildcats host Arizona State who may very well be ranked this week. A win would likely push Kansas State over Colorado next week.
Arizona State / Iowa State
Iowa State could fall out of the Top 25 with it second consecutive loss, however, there’s a shot that Arizona State could sneak in and take their place. The Big 12 conference isn’t getting a lot of respect so despite only having two losses, the Cyclones could be on the outside looking in.
The good news for the Big 12 is that the Sun Devils have won 4 of their last 5 games and will get another opportunity to make a statement as they go on the road to take on Kansas State. This would be big for the Big 12 to have a Top 25 showdown as the conference needs more of those matchups.
Follow Justin Giles on Twitter and Fan Insider on Facebook.
No. 9 BYU Beats Utah, Ends Rice-Eccles Losing Streak — Here’s All The Reactions
