Bowl Projections 2024: Playoff Bracket Predictions Ahead of Saturday’s Top Games

Bowl Projections 2024: Playoff Bracket Predictions Ahead of Saturday’s Top Games0 of 3

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The College Football Playoff rankings are sure to see a shakeup in Week 13. That’s because two of the top five teams in the country are facing off Saturday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, where No. 2 Ohio State is set to host No. 5 Indiana.

The Buckeyes and Hoosiers are currently both in the projected CFP field, and they’re each building strong resumes. But Saturday’s matchup will impact how things stand, and a loss for either school could make its path to the Playoff more challenging.

Other top-ranked teams will be looking to avoid getting upset. But at this point in the college football season, anything is possible on any Saturday.

Here’s how the CFP landscape stands entering the penultimate Saturday of the 2024 regular season.

Projected Top Four1 of 3

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1. Oregon (11-0, 8-0 in Big Ten)
Remaining games: vs. Washington (Nov. 30)
The Ducks have a bye this week, so they should remain atop the CFP rankings heading into the final week of the regular season. It would also be a surprise if they’re not undefeated heading into the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7, as they should cruise past Washington at home.

2. Texas (9-1, 5-1 in SEC)
Remaining games: vs. Kentucky (Saturday), at No. 15 Texas A&M (Nov. 30)
The Longhorns should have little trouble getting past the Wildcats this week. But they still have a big challenge looming in the form of a road matchup vs. the Aggies in Week 14.

3. Miami (9-1, 5-1 in ACC)
Remaining games: vs. Wake Forest (Saturday), at Syracuse (Nov. 30)
Coming off a Week 12 bye, the Hurricanes haven’t played since suffering their first loss of the season on Nov. 9 at Georgia Tech. They should bounce back and finish the regular season strong against a pair of unranked opponents.

4. Boise State (9-1, 6-0 in Mountain West)
Remaining games: at Wyoming (Saturday), vs. Oregon State (Nov. 29)
The Broncos continue to roll, having reeled off eight straight wins since their lone setback (a 37-34 loss at Oregon on Sept. 7). Their success should continue through the regular season.

Rest of Projected Field2 of 3

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5. Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 in Big Ten)
Remaining games: vs. No. 5 Indiana (Saturday), vs. Michigan (Nov. 30)
Although the Buckeyes have a big game on Saturday, they’re well prepared for this type of matchup. They have already played road contests at Oregon (a 32-31 loss on Oct. 12) and Penn State (a 20-13 win on Nov. 2) this season.

6. Penn State (9-1, 6-1 in Big Ten)
Remaining games: at Minnesota (Saturday), vs. Maryland (Nov. 30)
The Nittany Lions have notched back-to-back wins over Washington and Purdue since losing to Ohio State. They should finish the regular season strong, especially if they can avoid an upset on the road this week.

7. Indiana (10-0, 7-0 in Big Ten)
Remaining games: at No. 2 Ohio State (Saturday), vs. Purdue (Nov. 30)
While the Hoosiers are undefeated, they haven’t played a ranked opponent yet this season. So Saturday’s road matchup in Columbus will be their biggest test by far.

8. Notre Dame (9-1)
Remaining games: vs. No. 19 Army (Saturday), at USC (Nov. 30)
A neutral-field matchup at Yankee Stadium in New York on Saturday will pit the Fighting Irish against the unbeaten Black Knights. It should be a good opportunity for Notre Dame to prove it belongs in the CFP field.

9. Alabama (8-2, 4-2 in SEC)
Remaining games: at Oklahoma (Saturday), vs. Auburn (Nov. 30)
As long as the Crimson Tide don’t have a misstep against an unranked opponent the next two weeks, they’re in a good position to make the CFP. They’ve won three in a row (including quality victories against Missouri and LSU) since losing twice in three weeks earlier this year.

10. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 in SEC)
Remaining games: at Florida (Saturday), vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 29)
The Rebels won their way back into the CFP conversation with their Nov. 9 win over Georgia, and they haven’t played since, having had a Week 12 bye. They should finish out strong with a pair of favorable matchups remaining.

11. Georgia (8-2, 6-2 in SEC)
Remaining games: vs. UMass (Saturday), vs. Georgia Tech (Nov. 29)
The Bulldogs were victorious in a must-win game against Tennessee last week. Now that they’re done with their regular-season conference schedule, they should easily win their next two games against unranked non-conference teams at home.

12. Colorado (8-2, 6-1 in Big 12)
Remaining games: at Kansas (Saturday), vs. Oklahoma State (Nov. 29)
Battling with BYU atop the Big 12 standings, the Buffaloes have the easier remaining schedule of the two. They should keep their four-game winning streak alive and continue to roll toward the conference championship game.

Other Teams in the Mix3 of 3

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SMU (9-1, 6-0 in ACC)
Remaining games: at Virginia (Saturday), vs. Cal (Nov. 30)
The No. 13-ranked Mustangs control their own destiny, and it would be a surprise if they’re not playing in the ACC Championship Game.

BYU (9-1, 6-1 in Big 12)
Remaining games: at No. 21 Arizona State (Saturday), vs. Houston (Nov. 30)
The No. 14 Cougars are coming off a surprising loss at Kansas last week, their first setback of the season. Now, they have a difficult road matchup against the Sun Devils (8-2, 5-2), who have won three straight games and could play themselves into the Big 12 Championship Game.

Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 in SEC)
Remaining games: at Auburn (Saturday), vs. No. 3 Texas (Nov. 30)
Whether the Aggies can still get into the CFP likely depends on their regular-season finale against the Longhorns, which should be an interesting matchup.