Now that the 2024 college football regular season has come to an end and conference championship weekend has arrived, it’s time to summarize the lessons learned. Despite Indiana’s impressive 11-win season after winning only nine in the previous three years, the unexpected turnarounds from Arizona State and Colorado highlight the trend of volatility in college football.
The University of Oregon is the only team left with a chance to go undefeated, with the Pac-12 conference title firmly within their grasp. Furthermore, teams from new conferences, such as SMU, Oregon, and Texas, have had success, demonstrating that moving to a new conference will not guarantee failure.
To that end, RJ Young has predicted the College Football Playoff matchups. The 12 teams, divided into four seeded teams and four at-large teams, would face each other in a new world where the College Football Playoff committee has approved the increased size of the tournament to 12 teams.
Below are Young’s predictions, starting with the first round matchups:
1. 5. Notre Dame vs. 12. Boise State
6. 6. Penn State vs. 11. Alabama
7. 7. Indiana vs. 10. Tennessee
8. 8. Georgia vs. 9. Ohio State