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CBS Sports college football analysts recently sat down and provided their College Football Playoff predictions. So far in 2024, 4 different teams have taken a turn as the No. 1 team in the country, so this year’s CFP seems harder to predict than most.
Of the 4 analysts involved in this segment, 3 had the same team as the No. 1 seed: Oregon. Brian Jones, Randy Cross, and Aaron Taylor all picked the Ducks to be the top seed in the inaugural 12-team CFP. Rick Neuheisel was the lone analyst to go elsewhere at No. 1, as the former coach picked Georgia.
Georgia and Oregon have both spent time as the top-ranked team this season. The Bulldogs held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll until Week 4 when Texas took over. Alabama then took the top spot for Week 6 after defeating Georgia. Now, after Texas lost to Georgia, the Ducks are in the top spot.
It’s bracket time on Inside College Football
Number 1 seed predictions:@JonesN4mo – @oregonfootball @randycrossFB – @oregonfootball @AaronTaylorCFB – @oregonfootball @CoachNeuheisel – @GeorgiaFootball pic.twitter.com/F9JQGGbIo9
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) October 23, 2024
It’s not hard to see the Ducks’ path to the No. 1 seed in the Playoff. The team is sitting at 7-0, and the hardest test of the season, a game against Ohio State, is already in the past.
The Ducks have just 1 more regular-season game against a currently ranked opponent, Saturday’s clash with No. 20 Illinois. If Oregon makes the Big Ten Championship, Dan Lanning’s team would likely face another ranked opponent. In addition to Oregon and Illinois, the B1G also has No. 3 Penn State (6-0), No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) and No. 13 Indiana (7-0) ranked in the AP Poll.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are not in the driver’s seat in the SEC and still ranked matchups against No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 7 Tennessee and a 2nd loss would likely kill any chance of the Bulldogs getting the top seed. Though UGA is ranked No. 2 overall, the top spots in the SEC standings currently belong to No. 8 LSU and No. 14 Texas A&M. The Tigers and Aggies face each other in College Station on Saturday.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
