With a top-five matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana in Week 13, the fourth 12-team College Football Playoff Rankings reveal of 2024 was bound to see a shake-up at the top, but with three SEC upsets on Saturday, there will be even more significant movement within the CFP bracket.
Ohio State knocked off Indiana convincingly, so the Hoosiers, now at 10-1, should expect a significant slide on Tuesday night when the CFP rankings are released on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET. Though, losses by No. 7 Alabama to unranked Oklahoma, No. 9 Ole Miss to unranked Florida, and No. 15 Texas A&M to unranked Auburn, should prevent Curt Cignetti’s group from total freefall. Now at three losses, the Crimson Tide, Rebels, and Aggies could be out of the mix for an at-large bid into the CFP, though Texas A&M has a win-and-in situation for the SEC championship game in Week 14 with No. 3 Texas visiting College Station.
No. 4 Penn State was nearly another casualty of the weekend of upsets, but the Nittany Lions escaped a difficult game at Minnesota with a one-point win, and heading into a Week 14 matchup with Maryland, appear to be a lock for the 12-team field. Here’s how you can watch the rankings reveal.
College Football Playoff rankings release schedule:
- Tuesday, November 26: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Tuesday, December 3: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Sunday, December 8: Noon ET (ESPN)
Penn State College Football Playoff Rankings outlook
The Nittany Lions got to 10-1 but had another scare on the road with a one-point win helped by a successful fourth-quarter fake punt. While quite a bit removed from outlasting USC in overtime, close road games have become a theme for James Franklin’s Nittany Lions, and even with Indiana losing behind them, it could cost them a spot in the rankings.
Notre Dame has a much worse loss than Penn State, falling to Northern Illinois in the early season non-conference. However, the Fighting Irish have been pounding opponents and the style points that accompany a 49-14 win over No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night could elevate Marcus Freeman’s group.