On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff selection committee unveiled its initial list of rankings as the teams in contention for one of the 12 postseason spots gear up for a crucial slate of games over the course of November.
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There’s plenty of football left to be played before we learn which teams will have the chance to play for a title when the College Football Playoff gets underway, and we can expect a fair amount of movement in the rankings in the coming weeks before the lineup is solidified on December 8th.
Conference championships will play a major role in determining which teams end up making the cut, and while it’s too early to predict who will be playing in those games, there are a number of regular season contests that have the potential to be pretty impactful.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss
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There are three games on the slate this weekend that could have some major college football implication, which includes the showdown between #3 Georgia and #16 Ole Miss.
The Bulldogs are only listed as 2.5-point favorites on the road against a Rebels squad that absolutely dominated Arkansas last weekend in a game where Jaxson Dart threw six touchdowns.
Georgia, on the other hand, is dealing with some worries at QB thanks to Carson Beck’s turnover issues, and they’ll be dealt a huge blow if they fall to an Ole Miss team with a ton to gain with a win.
Alabama vs. LSU
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There’s another SEC matchup with some very high stakes on Saturday, as #11 Alabama will be facing what is theoretically its final big test of the regular season against #15 LSU.
The Crimson Tide are also sitting as 2.5-point favorites heading into a game in enemy territory, and LSU will be looking to bounce back after having a six-game winning streak snapped by Texas A&M last weekend.
A loss for either team will serve as the nail in the coffin for their College Football Playoff hopes, so this will be an absolutely massive contest.
BYU vs. Utah
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The stakes are always pretty high when BYU and Utah face off in the “Holy War,” and that’s certainly the case this year.
The Utes are sitting at 4-4 and have a tough road ahead of them if they want to make a bowl based on the games remaining on their schedule, and they’re listed as 5-point underdogs at home against an undefeated BYU squad that snapped their nine-game winning streak in the rivalry with a victory in 2021.
This marks the first time these teams have faced off since then, and Utah will be doing everything in its power to spoil BYU’s perfect season and throw a very interesting wrench into the conference championship picture.
Georgia vs. Tennessee
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Georgia’s showdown with Ole Miss isn’t the only dangerous one left on its schedule, as it will also be forced to deal with Tennessee when the Volunteers head to Athens on November 16th.
The Bulldogs will likely be favored in that game, but it would be foolish to overlook a Tennessee team that will almost certainly head into the game with an 8-1 record and the chance to firm up its College Football Playoff résumé in a big way with a win.
Indiana vs. Ohio State
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Indiana has emerged as the most unexpected surprise of the 2024 college football season after getting off to a 9-0 start under Curt Cignetti, and all signs point to them being 10-0 when they go toe-to-toe with Ohio State on November 23rd.
The Hoosiers have undoubtedly benefitted from a fairly weak schedule, but they’ve also looked pretty dominant in all of their wins against those inferior opponents.
I’m skeptical Indiana will be able to beat Ohio State for the first time in the history of the program (the Buckeyes have a 30-0-1 record in the series), but it’s shaping up to be the most competitive matchup yet.
Notre Dame vs. Army
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Notre Dame has managed to brush off its shocking loss to NIU and is well on its way to punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff, but Army has the potential to hand the Fighting Irish a major setback on November 23rd.
The Black Knights are currently 8-0 thanks in no small part to the stellar play of QB Bryson Daily, although they haven’t faced an opponent that comes close to matching the level of talent of a Notre Dame team that has a 15-game winning streak against Army stretching back to 1965.
Navy was also undefeated before getting blown out by the Fighting Irish at the end of October, and while there’s a solid chance Army ends up befalling a similar fate, I’m not counting them out entirely.
Texas vs. Texas A&M
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Texas A&M suffered a punch to the gut with a loss to South Carolina last weekend, but the Aggies have still looked pretty impressive this year and should be sitting at 9-2 when they host Texas to cap off the regular season on November 30th.
The Longhorns, on the other hand, will likely have a 10-1 record barring a very unexpected loss in the three games leading up to this contest.
Texas A&M will be fighting an uphill battle to get the win, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility.