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2024 Preseason 12-team College Football Playoff rankings prediction

With the college football season slowly creeping closer, we give you a look at who could be in the 12-team College Football Playoff at the end of the year.

By Ryan Stano

Fans stop to take photos with the College Football National Championship trophy at Meijer in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. The trophy is going on a tour for fans to see presented by Dr. Pepper.
Fans stop to take photos with the College Football National Championship trophy at Meijer in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. The trophy is going on a tour for fans to see presented by Dr. Pepper. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Last season, the Louisville football team was in the thick of the College Football Playoff hunt until the final game of the regular season. Kentucky not only won the Governor's Cup, but they knocked the Cardinals out of the CFP hunt barring a miracle. Louisville went on to lose their final three games after that loss to the Wildcats.

This season, they are hoping to put themselves in a better spot at the end of the year. While the polls don't think they have a great shot, the Cardinals believe in themselves. Every other team in the country also thinks they have a shot to make the first-ever 12-team Playoff.

We will be taking a look every week during the season at how the CFP hunt looks. This won't just be a Louisville-specific look. This is a nationwide look at college football and how we think things will finish. To refresh your memory, a Group of Five team will make the CFP this season for the second time ever.

Louisville would likely only get in if they can win the ACC since the perception is that the ACC isn't very good. They would get an automatic bid in that case. In any case, here's how I see things going right now.

Seed

Team

Reason they are here

Previous Rank

1.

Ohio State

Big Ten Champion

N/A

2.

Georgia

SEC Champion

N/A

3.

Florida State

ACC Champion

N/A

4.

Oklahoma State

Big 12 Champion

N/A

5.

Oregon

At-Large

N/A

6.

Texas

At-Large

N/A

7.

LSU

At-Large

N/A

8.

Clemson

At-Large

N/A

9.

Utah

At-Large

N/A

10.

Penn State

At-Large

N/A

11.

Notre Dame

At-Large

N/A

12.

Liberty

Highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion

N/A

It's pretty clear to me that Ohio State and Georgia are the two best teams in college football. Oregon is pretty close to them too, but I think the Buckeyes win the Big Ten, so they get the better seed and the bye. Oregon still gets in as the highest-ranked at-large team and would host a first-round CFP game.

Florida State is the best team in the ACC. If Louisville wants to make the CFP, they have to knock them off that pedestal. The Seminoles are going to be on a revenge tour after being left out last year despite being undefeated. Oklahoma State is criminally underrated too.

Liberty is the best Group of 5 (6??) team in the country. They should be the highest-rated team in that category and would get the honor of facing Oregon.

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