College Football Playoff bracket: Here's what a 24-team playoff would look like after first rankings

College Football Playoff bracket: Here's what a 24-team playoff would look like after first rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Three years ago when there was a four-team College Football Playoff, Sporting News published what a 12-team bracket would look like once the field expanded in 2024.

Well, we’re back.

Since the CFP has a ‘handshake agreement’ in place to expand the field to 24 teams starting next year, SN wants to keep you up to date on what exactly that field would look like.

The 24-team field will include automatic bids from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions (determined without championship games), plus the highest rated champion from a Group of 6 conference.

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The top eight seeds would receive byes to the second round of the playoff, while teams seeded No. 9 through No. 24 would play first-round games at campus sites.

Using committee’s first CFP rankings this is what the 24-team bracket would look like.

MORE: CFP committee reveals first rankings for 2026

What a 24-team CFP bracket would look like

No. 24 Boise State (7-1) at No. 9 BYU (7-1) - Winner plays at No. 8 UCLA (8-0)

No. 23 Oregon (5-3) at No. 10 Ole Miss (6-2) - Winner plays at No. 7 Texas (6-2)

No. 22 Arizona (6-2) at No. 11 Notre Dame (7-1) - Winner plays at No. 6 Kentucky (7-1)

No. 21 South Carolina (5-3) at No. 12 Ohio State (6-2) - Winner plays at No. 5 Alabama (6-2)

No. 20 USC (7-2) at No. 13 Tennessee (6-2) - Winner plays at No. 4 Indiana (8-1)

No. 19 Iowa (6-2) at No. 14 LSU (6-2) - Winner plays at No. 3 Utah (8-0)

No. 18 Missouri (6-2) at No. 15 Texas Tech (7-1) - Winner plays at No. 2 Georgia (7-1)

No. 17 Houston (6-2) at No. 16 Wake Forest (7-1) - Winner plays at No. 1 Miami (8-0)

Breaking down a 24-team field

There is always plenty of discussion about three-loss teams making the College Football Playoff. In next year's version, we would already have TWO three-loss teams in the field, with No. 22 Oregon and No. 21 South Carolina checking in at 5-3. ... Those two schools are 7-6 vs. P4 competition this season. ... Notre Dame supporters are likely unhappy with the No. 11 ranking, but the road to the Final Four if seeding held would be Arizona, Kentucky, Utah. ... No. 24 Florida, another 5-3 team, would be the first team out of a 24-team field in order to make room for Boise State. ... Three additional Big 12 teams would make the field in the expanded bracket. ... There would be 11 teams making their debut in the College Football Playoff if there were a 24-team field this season.

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