This is it 24-team College Football Playoff bracket on FOX Sports, and I’m the chairman of the selection committee.
Now, it’s all about a hypothetical playoff field as the postseason format barrel toward expansion from the current 12 teams. But I have a clear picture and a solid understanding of who I think is good, who would make the CFP if the season ended today, and who I think are the best teams in the sport. I have seeded teams based entirely on my weekly top-25 ranking.
As part of this 24-team College Football Playoff format, I’m looking at the start, potential matchups and state of play for several teams.
These teams, only three of which are undefeated, play each week for the chance to be here, while dozens of other unseeded teams are still playing for the privilege of participating in the postseason tournament to crown the national champion. It’s one more way of saying, yes, every single play matters in this sport.
According to this format, my selection criteria are very simple indeed:
- The four Power Four conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six team are automatic qualifiers
- The rest of the field is filled with 19 at-large bids for the remaining top-ranked teams, in this case, my weekly top-25 rankings.
Let’s get into it. Here’s what a 24-team College Football Playoff field would look like if the 2026 season ends after Week 9.
24-TEAM COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIELD IN 2026
AUTOMATIC QUALIFYING: POWER FOUR CHAMPIONS, HIGHEST-RANKING GROUP OF SIX TEAMS
1. Miami, ACC champion
2. Georgia, SEC champion
3. Indiana, Big Ten champion
4. Utah, Big 12 champion
20. Boise State, the sixth-ranked team
The Miami Hurricanes are doing everything they can to remove doubt from my mind and fill it with certainty that they are not only the best team in the sport, but capable of winning the national title in two and a half months.
Given Miami’s schedule, that has been a tough ask until this weekend. However, discerning fans will notice what I have for Miami’s schedule as well. Mostly, in Miami double-digit road wins in the Wake Forest has become one RANKING win. This matters.
On Saturday, the Canes (finally) play a top-5 ranked opponent on the road in Notre Dame, and that game will act as a referendum on how good Mario Cristobal’s team is this year compared to last. However, last year, Miami was one of the last teams to make it to the CFP — at the expense of Notre Dame — and proved to be the second-best team in the sport.
This 2026 Miami team has played better and may actually be better than the 2025 team. I’m eager to see how the Canes maintain that No. 1 ranking. 1 against the first team with the ability to beat them.
GREAT CFP OFFERS: FALL IN THE FIRST ROUND
5. Notre Dame
6. UCLA
7. Kentucky
8. Alabama
Notre Dame must win Saturday to stay in what is a highly coveted spot in the hypothetical 24-team CFP. Teams ranked 5 through 8 don’t just get a bye; they also get home field advantage over a lower seed.
The Fighting Irish already know they can reach the national championship game with home field advantage to begin the postseason invitational. In the 24-team format, they also have an extended chance to get healthy, better prepare for their opponent and possibly make a run at the national title that has eluded Notre Dame for four decades.
With a loss to No. 1 Miami this weekend, Notre Dame wouldn’t be out of the CFP, but could lose early, dropping that week at best and having to play away from home for the entire postseason. This is a great example of every game that matters in the regular season.
CFP MULTIPLE OFFERS: FIRST HOME GAMES
9. Texas
10. Ole Miss
11. USC
12. Ohio State
13. Texas Tech
14. Tennessee
15. BYU
16. Houston
How have the mighty fallen, Ohio State? After a disastrous loss to USC in Week 9 on Saturday night, Ohio State has already forfeited the privilege of a CFP bye.
Buckeyes fans have a right to question head coach Ryan Day and his staff. The loss to the Trojans had little to do with a freshman quarterback, Luke Fahey, making his first start on the road. No, Ohio State’s loss had more to do with clock management, being completely unable to score touchdowns in the red zone in the first half, and mistakes made by coordinator Matt Patricia’s defense, allowing explosive plays that proved to be the difference. With another loss this season, the Buckeyes could become a long shot to make the 12-team CFP.
Only two three-loss teams have made the tournament in the past: Alabama last season and 2024 ACC champion Clemson.
A three-loss Ohio State team in a hypothetical 24-team CFP could find it has to start its postseason journey on the road, as opposed to watching the entire event unfold from the living room couch.
CFP BIG DEALS: FIRST ROUND ROAD GAMES
17. Missouri
18. LSU
19. Iowa
20. Boise State (automatic qualifier)
21. Wake Forest
22. Florida
23. UTSA
24. New Mexico
Yes, LSU. You are still here.
Down here.
Decline.
That’s what happens when you lose to Ole Miss and Kentucky before Week 10. Fortunately for you, by battling the Tigers, you have a chance to play yourself into a top-25 ranking and move up the CFP ladder by coming away with a win against Alabama on Saturday. In fact, a win for LSU could prompt a turnaround between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide.
I still think LSU is one of the most talented teams in the sport and the Tigers are fun to watch when healthy. The prospect of seeing LSU win its fourth national title in 24 years — because it certainly won’t win one if it’s still ranked No. 18 at the end of the 2026 season — wouldn’t shock me, even in a 24-team CFP with one of the toughest paths to a national title the sport will ever see.
Leave it to Lane Kiffin and LSU to toe the line between the famous and the infamous — on and off a football field.